Beyond Our Silver Linings
by tehfluffyruscan
Summary: Ivan Braginski is a lonesome rebel who terrifies everyone at school. Matthew Williams is a quiet kid who practically lives as his brother's shadow. Any common ground? Not at first glance. But when a small mishap brings them together, forcing the two to acknowledge each other, that opinion might change, and maybe this chance could end up helping them both for the best.[Ruscan, AU]
1. Solitude

**PART I**

**_Chapter 1: Solitude_**

Matthew lived an okay life. At least, that's what he would reply with if asked such a question.

He was in his senior year of high school, succeeding with rather impressive grades. He had a steady job that paid decently and lived in a small apartment with his twin brother; one who also had a job and an athletic scholarship to boot. Both got along fine; they paid their halves of the rent and helped each other when it was needed.

Anyone looking from the outside in would say he had a good life, if not a great life. That he had nothing to complain about. Matthew hated to complain, or to be a bother, but there was just _one_ problem in his life of otherwise endless joy.

Just_ one_ simple fault keeping him from the happiness he desired...

"Alfred, please pay attention to the lesson."

A quick swat of a ruler against his desk made the Canadian jump and drop his pencil. Looking up to meet the eyes of the history teacher, who stared back with irritation, he sighed quietly. _Not again._

"M-Ms. Mary... I'm sorry, but… I-I'm not Alfred. " He frowned at her questioning expression. "I'm Matthew, his brother? Alfred's over there." He gestured across the small classroom, the other students not in the midst of laughing following his hand. The teacher did the same, looking dubious as Matthew pointed to a very similar-looking blonde seated next to the wall. Bangs draped over his forehead, he glared out the window, oblivious to the current situation.

"Alfred?"

The boy turned, aqua blue eyes glancing at his teacher from behind the thin layers of glass. "Yeah?"

She looked back at Matthew and a sincere look of guilt crossed her face at the realization.

"Oh Matthew, I'm sorry…"

To many, this would annoy them. Being mistaken for someone else would surely bother, or even anger said individual. Having it happen more than once, each and every day, would definitely frustrate them, and they would try to find some way to end it.

But Matthew had grown all too used to the simple mistake of being thought of as his brother. A long time ago, he too would have gotten mad at anyone who had mistaken the two, and argued with how they had been somehow compared. But now, it just seemed like a daily occurrence to the male; maybe because, sadly, it was. It happened every day to him, and he just couldn't care too much anymore to try and fix it.

"I-It's okay, Ms. Mary. Happens all the time." He laughed, holding his pencil awkwardly between two fingers. She returned a sad smile, before continuing the lesson she had been teaching.

Matthew looked back at his notebook, continuing to sketch across the blank white sheets, the sound of his teacher's voice turning faint and other noises finding their way to his ears. Students pretending to pay attention as they talked amongst each other. His brother's laughter, which Matthew observed out of the corner of his eye. The quiet sound of rain against the windows. Melded together, it created a beautiful hum of activity, complete except for the odd silence coming from the farthest back seat to the left, occupied by the tallest male in the room, who, taking no interest in the rest of his peers, let his pale violet eyes instead waste time watching the weather outside.

Matthew groaned, counting the moments until the bell would finally go off and signal the freedom he so desperately wanted.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

A loud ringing suddenly echoed through the classroom, students and teachers stopping in place to hear it finish.

Chairs were slid out from under desks in a matter of seconds, bags grabbed from their spots on the back of seats, and the sound of small chat erupted in the room.

"Remember to finish all your homework for tomorrow!" Ms. Mary called over the commotion, only a few managing to hear her voice in the flurry of chaos.

Matthew shut his notebook, standing to grab his knapsack. He glanced over to his brother's seat, now empty. Alfred had been called from class a few minutes earlier along with a couple other students to help with some event outside. Matthew laughed to himself; his sibling always had the best of luck when it came to the two. _Alfred always was the lucky one._

He grabbed his backpack, swinging it over his shoulder and following the crowd outside the door. He pushed his way through the students who, for some reason, always decided to stand right in the _middle _of the hall, of all places.

He finally arrived to his locker. It was located on the first floor, luckily very close to his last classroom, so he didn't need to walk very far. Bringing his hand to the small lock in the center, he opened the green metal door, greeted with the familiar pictures placed along there. A smile spread across his face, taking in and recounting each memory they held within. A large majority of them were of his brother and him wasting their time away in some manner (normally of Alfred's choice), but a small few were of Matthew and his friends. His _few _friends, suspended in time laughing and smiling.

That's what everyone else would be doing: leaving school to head out somewhere—maybe the movies, a restaurant, the park—with their friends. Matthew couldn't imagine such a luxury. He had a couple friends, yes, but they almost always were too busy to spend time with him, or too occupied with other matters. So while everyone else was getting ready to spend the afternoon with their closest pals, Matthew was preparing to just walk home and read a book or two, maybe bake something. He never had anything too excited planned on his schedule, and today wasn't going to be an exception.

But as soon as Matthew saw his brother, running down the hall towards him and screaming his name, he knew he was about to be proven wrong.

Alfred crashed into Matthew, barely stopping in time as he put his arms on his brother's shoulders to catch his breath. Matthew stared in confusion, pushing his twin back and taking in the rather _odd _appearance of him. His shirt had been torn on the sleeve as if someone had reached for it, and a large bruise mark was on his cheek, already purple and beginning to swell. There was also a strange looking purplish fabric sticking out of his pocket.

"Alfred? What the heck happ—"

"No time, Matthew!" He yelled frantically, eyes in panic, turning backwards as if looking for someone. "Look, I need you to cover for me!"

_"Cover for you?" _

"Yeah, just stay here and—" The loud sound of footsteps was suddenly heard behind the pair, Alfred tensing at the noise. "I'll pay you back later; just go with what she says!" He let go, quickly running past Matthew.

"Alfred, I don't understand—"

"_Alfred Jones!" _

Matthew made a mental note to beat Alfred _senseless_ when he got home. Turning at the call of his brother's name, he was greeted with the sight of a teacher standing down the hall, pointing straight at him as she repeated the name. Rage was clear on her face. Matthew glanced back, hoping to maybe see Alfred behind him, to for once take the blame for something he did. But Alfred was gone, and Matthew was all alone at his locker.

Sometimes he hated his brother.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

"Alfred, I'll have you know I'm very disappointed in you."

He sighed, letting the angry teacher continue to ramble on as she pulled him down the hall by his arm, a firm grip locked on his sweater sleeve.

When she first grabbed him, he had tried to tell the truth saying he wasn't his brother, but after the usual response (_"Don't lie to me!"_) he gave up and decided to just allow himself to be taken anyway. It wasn't the first time Alfred had asked him to take the blame. He never took it as actually _being_ Matthew, but pretending to be Alfred. He had sat through tons of lectures, talks, and even a few detentions for his brother. _Why?_ Matthew didn't really know why he put up with the treatment as much as he did. He could just tell him no and walk away, but again, he was just used to the occasional incident from his brother, and this one was no different. So he decided to just go with it once again, wondering what kind of trouble Alfred had managed to get himself wrapped into this time.

"I can't believe you would fight with another student! You know the rules, Jones!"

Matthew groaned. _So that's what it was._ So Alfred had managed to get in a fight with someone in less than twenty minutes, to such a point that a teacher had ended up chasing him through the halls. Perfect.

Alfred wasn't a very violent person, but that didn't mean he hadn't gotten into more fist fights than he could handle. The fights were never because he picked on someone, he wasn't a bully or anything… at least, not towards anyone at school. The only people he ever fought with were the larger kids, the ones in their current grade, normally over the stupidest of reasons: grades, opinions, people, or simply the fact that Alfred could be an _ass_. Most of them weren't very serious and had ended in a matter of seconds, thanks to the calming voice of himself.

They finally arrived at the principal's office, the teacher releasing Matthew's arm from its death grip. They walked past a few rooms before the teacher stopped in front of a door, bringing a hand up to knock. They waited a few moments before a call from inside said to come in. The door opened and Matthew followed timidly, wondering who Alfred had managed to piss off this time. _Maybe Antonio again, or perhaps Francis__—_

Matthew froze in his tracks.

Remember when he said he was going to beat his brother senseless for having to do all this? Scratch that, he was going to _murder him in his sleep_.

Seated in a chair placed up against the wall, hands in pockets, a large bloody cut across his forehead and a badly swollen lip, was Ivan Braginski.

Out of every possible person in their school to mess with, out of so many people to piss off, Alfred had to choose _Ivan_, and _today _of all days.

Matthew strangled his backpack straps.

Nobody knew the lonesome male personally, but everyone would have something similar to say at the mention of his name. A Russian student transferred to their school earlier in the year, Ivan had two sisters, one that was sweet and kind and one that was as creepy and scary as hell. But that was nothing compared to the lesson you'd learn if you laid a finger on either. In fact, if you simply _messed _with Ivan, he would hurt you. He enjoyed fighting, and didn't mind scaring the shit out of anyone. His impressive height added to the effect.

Everyone avoided him and was terrified of him. Matthew was much the same.

Thinking hard, Matthew tried to think of why Ivan had gotten into a fight with his brother. Ivan was in a few of his classes, including the one he had been in a mere few minutes ago. Ivan had been called down as well to help out along with Alfred. _That's the most logical explanation, _Matthew thought.

"Alfred, please sit down," the principal called, his voice calm as he pointed to a set of two chairs placed in front of his desk. Matthew nervously walked over, taking a seat. "Ivan, you too, please." The Russian sat down in the chair beside him, sending a death glare towards Matthew who in response shuddered in his seat.

The lecture went how one would expect; the principal going over why they were here and how they went against the rules, how their behavior needed improvement. Matthew nodded and agreed at the appropriate times; Ivan simply grunted every so often.

"Alfred, you're a good kid. I know this. You need to stop getting into these kind of fights, okay?"

"Yes sir." Matthew replied, earning a soft smile in return.

"Ivan, you need to stop this and start behaving. You can do well if you try, I'm sure." His eyebrows dropped, face in a frown. "You can change your life around for the better." Ivan turned away at the comment, not looking to anyone.

The principal stayed quiet for a bit, not bothering to speak. He continued to look back and forth between Ivan and Matthew, before smiling weakly. "You know, I'm sure you two could be friends if you tried..." Ivan chuckled, only loud enough for Matthew to hear, who glanced down feeling awkward at the comment. He wasn't Alfred, so having it said to him was... odd.

After this they were assigned a month-long detention that was to be served after school— _Alfred isn't going to be happy about that_— and then they were dismissed. A teacher followed them back to each of their lockers (Matthew was thinking it was to make sure Ivan didn't beat him to a pulp when they weren't looking) and after gathering all their things, they were escorted to the front doors.

The teacher waved a goodbye to them as they slowly walked down the steps in a rather awkward silence. Ivan hadn't said a word since they left the office. When the teacher saw they were walking away from the school and everything looked fine, she turned around and left.

The moment she was out of sight, a large hand suddenly gripped Matthew's red sweater, pain slightly tensing in his arm.

"Where is it?" Ivan spoke, pale violet eyes locking onto the Canadian, eyebrows furrowed. Matthew gulped, staring back uneasily.

"What?"

"_Where is it._" He repeated, more statement than question, gripping more tightly onto Matthew's sweater.

"I don't know what you—"

"Don't play games with me, Alfred! Tell me where it is _now_, before I smash your face in." He grabbed Matthew's other shoulder, holding the boy in a tight grip, face close. Matthew shivered, but stared back. The ability to feel Ivan's breath was _not_ how he wanted his day to end. This is just how he had wanted his day to end, being threatened by the scariest kid in school all because he was covering for his stupid brother who had done _God knows what_ to piss off Ivan. Whatever his brother did must have been pretty bad; he'd never seen Ivan so angry.

"Ivan, I don't—"

"Alfred, stop messing with me or else—"

"I'm not Alfred!" Ivan stopped, raising an eyebrow and showing a facial expression that said _'Are you kidding me?' _He laughed.

"Is that your best excuse? Alfred, I'm not _stupid_."

"I'm being serious." Matthew hadn't wanted to rat out his brother, but this had gone too far. He could handle a lecture, a couple detentions… heck, even doing extra work, but nearly being beaten was crossing the line. "I'm his brother Matthew."

"_Who?_"

He sighed. His life had gone from sad to pathetic in one word. It's not like he had expected Ivan to have a clue who he was anyway. If even the teacher he had couldn't remember who he was after a month, then the chance of Ivan Braginski knowing anything was next to nothing.

The Russian seemed to look him over, tilting his head up and down Matthew with his eyes in a focused gaze, considering his hair, face, and finally eyes. Finally realizing the truth, Ivan's own eyes widened. "You really _aren't_ Alfred."

_Took you long enough._ "I said I wasn't, didn't I?" Ivan let go of his arm, stepping back a step and looking him over again, still confused. Matthew brought a hand up to rub where Ivan had held him. The Russian had a tight grip.

"If you're not Alfred, then why the heck were you in the office for him? And responding as if you were him?"

"I was covering for him." He laughed a little at the odd look Ivan gave him. "We look a lot alike, so it's easy to pretend… to be him."

Ivan nodded, understanding what Mathew meant but not wanting to get too invested in conversation. He paused in thought then shook his head. "Alfred's an ass."

Both stayed where they were standing, glancing at each other every so often as a slight drizzle began to fall. Ivan reached at his neck, rubbing the skin. Matthew cleared his throat.

"Ivan... what did you mean earlier by where is it?" Matthew asked, flipping up his red hood as the rain picked up.

"Alfred stole my scarf." Ivan pulled at the top of his jacket, curling up the sides to cover more of his neck. "I was chasing him through the school, but a teacher caught me before I could catch him."

"Oh." Matthew frowned, looking away. Ivan would go through all of that, just for a scarf? How much could a simple piece of fabric mean to him? He heard the Russian sigh, while brushing a few fingers through his hair. He glanced at Matthew once more, before turning and beginning to walk away, feet splashing through the puddles.

Matthew watched, not knowing what to do. Hearing what his brother had done made him feel bad for Ivan, almost guilty. It was only a scarf, but it obviously meant _something _to the Russian.

"Ivan, wait!"

He stopped, tilting his head back to Matthew. "What?"

"I can get your scarf back for you." Ivan's eyebrows rose doubtfully.

"You can?"

Matthew smiled. "I live with Alfred, so it shouldn't be too hard." He laughed. _Oh, what a joy it was living with Alfred Jones._

To Matthew's shock, instead of giving an excuse that he could get the scarf back himself—what the Canadian had expected—Ivan instead smirked, replying, "Promise?"

"W-What?"

_"Do you promise?" _The Russian repeated, tone same as before. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, he waited for a response. Matthew glared back, confused. Did Ivan want him to seriously _promise _this? Clearing his head, Matthew decided not to question it, and spoke weakly.

"I-I… promise…?"

"Good." The Russian smiled, running his hands through his hair once again. "I expect it back by tomorrow." Matthew nodded, deciding it was best to not argue. He was surprised he was even _talking _with Ivan at this point.

As if catching Matthew's insubordinate thoughts, Ivan turned back for a brief moment. Eyes cold and voice back in the tone everyone was used to hearing, he added, "I'm sure you know what will happen if you don't."

Matthew shivered where he stood. Ivan flashed one last smirk before turning and walking off into the distance, Matthew watching as he disappeared into the rain that was now pouring down all around him.

After a few seconds he shook his head, realizing he was still staring at the empty sidewalk where Ivan had been. He pulled his bag tighter around his back, and adjusted his hood before heading the opposite direction the Russian had gone, to his apartment, beginning to recount the events of today.

He'd been forgotten a few times; that was normal. He covered for his brother; that wasn't anything new. He spoke with Ivan Braginski. The Canadian frowned. Now _that_ was something different. He still couldn't quite believe what had happened; that he had talked with Ivan, and _casually_ at that, without ending up beaten to a pulp. _That was something good, wasn't it?_

Then there was the scarf he had to get back from his brother. Hopefully that wouldn't be too difficult a task.

He sighed, continuing on his trek home, still thinking of the day's occurrences.

_So much for my regular Tuesday evening…_

..oO0(|)0Oo..

.-~Thank you for reading~-.

So, I've had this idea stuck in my head for a little while, and decided, why not write it out? Here we have it, a brand new fan-fic that I hope some of you enjoy! Did you like how it was, seeing any need for improvement? Please leave a review below if you do! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

I love me some RusCan, and boy daddy do I enjoy a nice High School Au.

-Radi0

_19/04/2014 - My beta helped me correct the mistakes, and fix this up. I hope it's a little neater now! (I also changed the chapter title!)_

**_I Do Not Own Any of These Characters or Hetalia_**


	2. Company

**_Chapter 2: Company_**

When Matthew finally arrived home, he proceeded to slap his brother across the head before he could get a word in.

"Mattie, what the heck was that for?!"

"I can name a few good reasons as to why!" Matthew threw down his backpack, looking at Alfred as he held a hand to his now slightly bruised head. "Ivan, bro? _Seriously?_"

Alfred stared back, giving a small gulp. "Matthew, look, it—"

"How did you get him so pissed? And you just had to fight with him as well, didn't you?" The smaller blonde continued on his anger spree, hands balled in fists and targeted on his sibling. His brother always did this, leaving him to be blamed and to take the punishment. Even when they were kids it had been the same: Alfred walked away while Matthew could only sit and watch; his brother got the glory, the praise, and no one remembered the elder of the two as Matthew was left to rot like a piece of meat. He had put up with it for so long, but now, he was beginning to reconsider his kindness. "You better have a good excuse, or I swear—"

"Matt, calm down!" Alfred placed his hands on his brother's shoulder in an attempt to calm the enraged male. "I can explain!"

The Canadian stared back, eyebrows slanted downwards showing his temper. He wanted to continue yelling and tell Alfred a few other things he had on his mind, but when those aqua-blue pools looked down on him showing that their owner was sincerely sorry, Matthew couldn't bring himself to do so.

"Okay, fine." He pushed away Alfred's hands, stepping back and crossing his arms with a look of determination. "I'm listening."

"It started after we were dismissed early from class. Ivan and I had to help carry a bunch of props back inside the school. It went fine until there were a couple boxes left. I went to help when Ivan decided to carry the remaining ones by himself— _obviously_ struggling. I tried to take some from him, but he yelled at me not to. I insisted, because I knew he couldn't do it himself, but all he did was yell at me some more. He even threw some insults at me!"

"I don't see why you had to end up fighting with him over that."

"He thinks he's just so much better than everyone else!" Alfred threw his hands up, now adrift in his own pointless rage. "Why can't he just _listen_ for once and instead not try to be so damn intimidating?"

"I don't know..." Matthew thought back, remembering his encounter with Ivan. He hadn't actually felt too scared during it all; more confused and saddened than anything else. He never thought he would feel anything besides fear towards the Russian, but then he hadn't ever planned on actually talking with him either. He had always seemed so frightening, and now all Matthew could do was feel sorry for the guy. _What a strange day._ "He's just different, Alfred, that's all."

"Yeah, but he could learn to not be a jackass once and while."

_I wouldn't be talking… _Matthew thought, walking past his brother and heading to their kitchen in the room over. Alfred followed him, Matthew grabbing a soda from the fridge before glancing back to his sibling. "You still didn't need to fight. There could've been another way to resolve it."

"If you have a better way, then I'd like to hear it."

Alfred smirked in victory when he didn't reply; the shorter blonde, taking a drink from his soda, gave his brother an annoyed glare. Matthew wanted to say something, but in all honesty he didn't know what there was for him to say. Ivan was an odd person; he enjoyed doing everything alone and stood his ground when questioned, so attempting a normal face-to-face argument with him wasn't going to work out that great. "Whatever."

They stood in silence for a bit, Alfred standing near the island in the center while Matthew leaned back against the counter.

"So… did it all go fine?" Alfred asked.

"Yeah, everything went okay." He took another sip. "You also have a month long detention that's to be served after school."

His brother gave a short gasp, grabbing his head in frustration. "You have got to be kidding me! That sucks!"

"Yeah, it kind of does." Matthew laughed to himself, watching as Alfred freaked out. _Serves him right; now he's finally going to learn about responsibility and—_

"Bro, you need to take it for me!" Matthew barely managed to keep from spitting out his drink. He roughly swallowed it, before staring at his brother.

"You have to be kidding me! I am so not doing that!" He had done so much for Alfred already, how much more could he want from him?

"Mattie, please? I would go myself, but I have football after school and soccer and baseball…"He walked over to Matthew, looking his brother in the eyes. "Please... just one more time."

Matthew bit his tongue, turning his head away. He wanted to tell his brother no, he really did, he'd been wanting to for over half his life, but when he looked at Alfred's face and watched him gaze back with sadness, he just couldn't. He didn't want to hurt his brother; just the thought brought tears to his eyes. "Alfred… I…"

"I promise that if you help me this time I will do whatever you want in return." He placed his hands on his brother's shoulders again, a small encouraging smile on his face. "Please…?"

"You _promise_ that you'll help me when I need you?" Matthew asked, looking with uncertainty.

"I promise you."

He sighed. Helping his brother out one more time couldn't hurt him that much in the long run, right? "Fine, Alfred, I'll go to the detentions for you, but this is the last time, okay?"

Alfred didn't respond, but his face lit up and he enveloped Matthew in a tight hug. Matthew hugged back, enjoying the warmth and comfort it gave him. When the hug ended, Alfred was still grinning.

"You're the best brother ever, Matt."

"I better be..."

Even if Matthew at that moment wanted to hit his brother again, now knowing his next month would be spent in a class room with a frightening older teen, the reassuring smile returned from Alfred made him forget the worries, and he instead decided to focus on the peaceful sound of their laughter as it echoed in the kitchen.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

"And in 1775, the thirteen American colonies that confederated themselves as the United States of America rebelled against Great Britain…" Matthew wrote down the answer as he spoke, looking over his textbook page again to make sure he was correct. "And after 1778, it became a world war between Britain, France, Netherlands, Spain, and Mysore."

It had been a few hours since he and his brother had talked; after the fit of laughs, they both had escaped to their own rooms. Matthew doing the homework he had been assigned and Alfred doing something of his own means that never involved actually doing his school work.

"I wonder how the country of Britain felt during the rebellion," He asked himself, falling back onto his bed. "Knowing that they lost the colonies, but also realizing they did something wrong in order for them to want to leave." He gave a tiny yawn, bringing a hand up to rub his eye as he snuggled into his pillow. He turned on his side and looked through the window across from the bed. He didn't have a great view because of how late it was, but the lights allowed him to see the slightest hints of leaves blowing outside in the breeze. He smiled; he couldn't wait for winter to roll in. He loved spending time in the coldness outside; being able to skate again on the ice and enjoy mugs of hot cocoa… wrapping up in a warm bundle of hats and mitts, topped with a giant coat... and maybe a scarf to protect his soft neck.

_Scarf_. Now why did that word stick in his head? Hmm... Hadn't he done something that involved one? It was on the tip of his tongue…

"Ivan!" Matthew yelled, quickly bringing himself up from the bed. "I forgot about Ivan's scarf! How could I have forgotten?" He jumped off the mattress and went to his door, opening it and walking out into the hallway. He couldn't believe how easily Ivan had slipped from his mind; he had barely remembered in time. He shivered, imagining what Ivan would have done if Matthew had went to school the following day without his precious scarf.

He arrived at his brother's room which was located only a little way down the hall. He knocked on the door lightly, calling out, "Alfred! Are you in there?" There was no response, and Matthew knocked a little harder this time. "Alfred?" When he still didn't get an answer after waiting a few moments, he eased the door open gently and peeked his head inside, searching for his brother.

"Eww…" He didn't find Alfred, but instead was met with garbage littering the room everywhere: cans, wrappers, and even leftover food on the ground. His brother was a pig. "You're disgusting, Alfred..." He groaned to himself, suddenly turning as he heard a noise coming from the bathroom Alfred also had in his room (lucky duck). He listened to the sound of water being turned on, realizing his brother was probably in the shower. He sighed, deciding he would just ask him later.

"I'm going to make him clean his room as well, such a mess." He gazed around it once more, taking in tossed clothes, books thrown aimlessly to the floor. Even his garbage was overflowing! Did he have no decency? Matthew turned, ready to leave, but something caught his eye— sticking out of the trash bin was something of a light purple color. Curious, Matthew walked over to it, stepping over other items as he went. He bent down, sticking out a hand and pulling the end of what turned out to be fabric, lifted it up. A half-eaten burger fell off it as he stood, bringing the object with him. He examined it, noticing a large rip near the bottom half and stains here and there from being stuck in the trashcan under a pile of greasy food. He didn't need to even question what it was he found; he already knew as soon as he picked it up.

It was Ivan's scarf.

He frowned, wondering why his brother would do such a thing. He held the scarf carefully, not wanting to damage it anymore, feeling the softness of the wool against his hands.

He walked back to the door, turning to glance back into his brother's room once more. Reassured by the continuing sound of the water, he quickly exited and walked back down the hall.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

"So the rebellion happened in 1771—"

"1775."

"Sorry, I meant 1775. And then a world war started between Britain, France, Netherlands, Spain, and Russia?"

"All right, except for Russia."

"Close enough. Four out of five!"

Matthew laughed, watching as his brother gave a fist pump to celebrate getting some of the questions right.

"Not exactly, but good job anyway." The brothers were currently walking to school, something they did every day together when the weather wasn't too bad. Even though it normally resulted in Alfred begging for the answers on the next test, or failing at the questions his brother asked him, it was still one of Matthew's favorite parts of the day and he looked forward to it each morning.

They continued down the sidewalk, Matthew taking in the beauty of the autumn setting while his brother blabbed on about hamburgers. They continued on for a few more minutes before they finally arrived at the school.

"Arthur!" Alfred called out, running from his brother towards a smaller male standing near the fountain in front of the building.

Matthew smiled, watching as Alfred gave his friend a huge hug, much to the aforementioned friend's displeasure. Arthur was one of their mutual friends, but was closer with Alfred. They had known him ever since grade school, and even though it had taken a long time until he finally decided to become their friend—mainly because of Alfred being extremely annoying—Arthur had become a better person because of it and seemed happier than before.

"Get off me, you bloody git! I told you not to do that!"

_…Even if it wasn't as obvious a certain times. _

Matthew giggled, watching Alfred and Arthur began their typical conversation. Knowing his brother would catch up later, Matthew continued on, passing by many others kids who all looked the same as each other and huddled in small groups. He walked towards the steps, thinking of how the day would go. Perhaps he would score perfectly on a test, or enjoy a delicious meal from the café… _Or maybe even be properly noticed…_

Matthew stopped walking, a familiar looking figure suddenly becoming the center of his attention.

He was leaning back against the wall of the school, wearing that same black jacket from yesterday and a matching pair of shaggy jeans. His hands were hidden away in his coat pockets and his eyes weren't visible as they were covered by his silvery blonde hair that shagged over his forehead.

Matthew stood still, not entirely knowing why Ivan had drawn his attention today, and found he couldn't stop staring at him. Did he stand there on every school day? Was he waiting for someone? Did he want Matthew to return the scarf earlier than—?

Violet eyes laced with fuchsia looked up from beneath their cover of ash hair and locked onto Matthew.

The blonde shrieked in fright at Ivan's sudden glare, and forgetting his questions, hurried into the school with his cheeks tinted a slight pink.

After this, the day continued normally for Matthew, three hours passing by before he even realized it.

"I can't believe Mr. Mack assigned so much homework," Matthew now stood in front of his locker, putting away his books and getting ready to head out for lunch. "Hopefully I'll be able to finish it all tonight…"

A pair of arms suddenly wrapped themselves around his torso from behind, lifting him off the ground. He began to panic, wondering who was holding him, but his frights were calmed as he heard Arthur.

"For Pete's sake, Alfred, you scared him nearly half to death! Put him down."

"Fine, _Artie_."

"Don't call me that!" Matthew laughed; being placed gently back onto the ground and turning around, he saw his brother and Arthur, along with Francis, and smiled.

"Hey guys! What are you doing?"

"We were about to head to the café. Would you like to come with us?" Francis asked, giving a soft grin.

"That sounds great, just let me put my stuff away first." Francis nodded in response, turning back to Alfred and Arthur, who were in the middle of an argument. He leaned over to Arthur, whispering something in his ear. The Brit instantly stopped his conversation with Alfred, face turning beet red as he hit Francis across the arm.

"Don't you bloody say that to me again, wanker!"

"You know you want to~"

"In your dreams!"

Matthew watched his friends with laughter. _Some things never changed.._.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

"And then, a zombie appeared out of nowhere, grabbing the two of them with one swift motion before—"

"Stop telling scary stories, Francis!" Alfred clung to Arthur, shivering in his seat. Arthur tried pushing him off, but when the American only tightened his grip in response, he gave up.

Francis continued the tale, Alfred continuing to hold tightly to Arthur who was annoyed but looked away with a blush.

Matthew sighed. He had been sitting beside his brother the whole time but was forgotten a few minutes after they arrived. He tried to get into their conversation, but they just didn't notice he was there and had continued on without him. He brought the fork up to his mouth, taking a bite of his lunch. He had been dragged to the cafe a few times with them, normally with the same results. He didn't mind too much though—they always talked about weird things anyway.

His eyes roamed around the room, trying to find something of interest. A small group of three caught his attention almost immediately, seated at a table a little way away. And of course, it included Ivan.

Matthew was easily able to recognize the two girls sitting with him; he had seen them many times before with the teen. Natalia, the youngest of the three, was gripping tightly onto her brother's arm, a permanent look of rage on her emotionless face. Ivan seemed to be trying desperately to peel her off, but his frantic motions did nothing. Across from them was Katyusha, the eldest; she bore a bright smile on her face as she spoke, oblivious to her brother's obvious pain. The three looked quite odd in the Cafeteria and stood out compared to all the other kids.

Matthew knew he shouldn't be talking, but he wasn't looking forward to the next month of detentions laid down ahead of him. He was way too good of a brother... He tilted his head to focus on Ivan again, wondering why he looked so... _scared. _Was it because of Natalia? No, that just didn't seem practical. _A person the size of him couldn't possibly be scared of a tiny girl like her, right? _

"Hey bro, what you looking at?" The sound of his brother's voice broke his stare, turning to see Alfred with a raised brow.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking." He brought his fork up to take another bite.

"Honhon~ I know what he was doing." Francis leaned over to Matthew, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "You were looking at Kat over there, weren't you?"

Matthew nearly choked on his food, a large blush spreading across his cheeks. "I was not!"

"Oh yes you were~"

"I'm telling you guys, I wasn't!"

"She's way too big for you anyway, bro."

"Will you two leave the poor lad _alone_, for Pete's sake?"

"Someone's jealous~"

"Shut up, you frog!"

Matthew sighed, lowering his head to the table. Some days he wondered why he even bothered speaking up.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

Matthew stood by his locker, gathering up a few of his textbooks. Alfred was beside him, a small frown on his face.

"Matthew, I'm really sorry for making you do all this…" Alfred said, voice filled with guilt.

"Don't worry, it's fine. I'm okay with it." Matthew gave a reassuring smile, holding his books to his chest. "I don't mind helping you out every once and awhile." He was glad Alfred was showing concern—it meant that he cared—but the comment didn't do much to raise his brother's spirit.

"I'll go to some of these detentions as well. I promise..." Alfred placed a hand on Matthew's arm. "You don't deserve to go to them."

"I said I'm fine; don't get all worried." Matthew giggled, running a hand through his brother's light blonde locks.

"Hey! Don't mess up my hair!" Alfred laughed, pushing his brother lightly.

The two giggled with one another. Their moment was ruined when a speaker echoed through the halls. _"Alfred Jones, please report to Room 527." _

"I'll see you when I get home, okay?" Matthew said, grinning.

"Okay." Alfred gave Matthew a quick hug, holding on a little longer than normal. The two shared one last smile before Alfred left down the hall, disappearing out the front doors. Matthew watched him leave, closing his locker before walking in the other direction.

"Room 527, here I come."

His trek down the empty hall seemed to take forever until he finally was able to find the classroom. It was located on the second floor, the farthest to the right; judging from where it was in the school, Matthew had a perfect view of the sports field—maybe he would be able to watch his brother play sports from one of the windows.

Matthew gulped, standing in front of the door. Ivan was already inside, and he was nervous about how the next hour would go. Taking a breath, he reached for the handle and walked inside.

"Hey, false Alfred." Looking to the corner of the classroom, Matthew saw him. Kicked back in one of the chairs with his feet resting on top of the desk, he shot Matthew a sickening grin.

"H-hi..." He closed the door behind himself, turning back to Ivan who was walking towards him. He stopped when he was a foot in front of the blonde, sticking a hand out in front of Matthew.

"Where is it?" He asked.

_Talk about getting to the point…_

"G-give me a second…" Matthew replied quietly, placing down his knapsack on a chair and reaching inside. He pulled out the folded scarf carefully and brought it to Ivan. "Here you go—"

The Russian grabbed the fabric before Matthew could finish his sentence, holding it tightly to his chest and walking back over to his seat.

"You're welcome…" Matthew said, watching Ivan wrap the scarf around his neck. He seated himself down in a desk, pulling out one of his textbooks and beginning to work.

Matthew wanted to badly finish his schoolwork, but it was nearly impossible for him to focus when Ivan continued to give him strange glares.

After a few minutes of the awkward glances, he had had enough.

"Do you need something?" He asked, looking across the room to Ivan.

"Yeah." He replied. "Why are you here?"

"Excuse me?" Ivan knew why he was here! Why would he ask such a question?

"Last time I recalled, your name's not Alfred Jones, is it now?" He asked, eyebrow raised.

"I'm here _for_ my brother."

"Why?"

_Ivan sure asked a lot of questions._ "I care about him, that's why." Or well, he didn't like disappointing him. Matthew was afraid that if he said no, Alfred would lose trust in him; he was his only family left. _I don't want to lose him, no matter how much that costs._

There was a small chuckle as Ivan began to laugh.

"You know, you're a little pathetic."

Matthew froze. The comment ran in his ears, and even though he wanted to yell something back, all he could do was return an angry glare before turning back to his paper.

The Russian continued to look at the Canadian, those violet eyes targeted on him like newfound prey. Matthew didn't know whether his smirk was supposed to be rude or scary; either option terrified him. He hid his face beneath his hair, cursing under his breath.

He prayed that he would find a way to survive this to the end.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

.-~Thank you for reading~-.

I'd like to first thank everyone for giving me so many follows, reviews and faves. I'm glad that you guys seem to like this idea so far~ I'm also terribly sorry for this not coming out earlier, but school calls, and it wants to always ruin my day and take up all my time. I hate it.

Oh. Btw, I'm looking for a Beta, so if anyone would like to help me out please P.M me~ It would help me out tons, and make this story so much better.

Please tell me what you think of my writing style, if it's good or bad, and what I could improve. If you like this story then please drop a review down below~ I'd greatly appreciate it. J

Until Next time~

___19/04/2014 - Me and my Beta corrected any mistakes, hope it is better now! (I also changed the chapter title!)_

_-Radi0 _


	3. Simple

_**Chapter 3: Simple**_

Spending an hour inside a school classroom with Ivan Braginski, the student who was known for spray painting the walls throughout the city and racing far over the limits along the highways, turned out to not actually be that exciting.

Of course, it wasn't like Matthew had been anticipating anything prior to walking in - the topic had never crossed his mind - but he thought that the Russian would've done more than just leaning back in his seat, feet resting on the tabletop and eyes occasionally roaming their boring surroundings. It just didn't seem, _in character_. Matthew wasn't in a place to speak though, he didn't know Ivan so he couldn't say what was right or wrong when it came to him.

He looked up from his paper, deciding to take a glance at the male occupying his thoughts; boots still kicked up on the desk where they had stayed for the past sixty minutes. Ivan showed no interest in Matthew, instead looking out the window beside him. Matthew gave a sigh, now bored from all his homework. He didn't like the silence, and sadly it was the only thing filling the room. He thought back a tad, remembering the last thing Ivan had said to him before they turned away from each other to settle in their own solitude.

_"You know, you're a little pathetic."_

_Pathetic.. _He wasn't pathetic, was he? Ivan had called him out on it after he said he cared for his brother, _an act of kindness, _showing kindness wasn't a weakness, at least, not to Matthew. It was a necessity to life, a rule you had to follow in order to get the fullest out of the short time you got to spend on this earth - something Matthew had done for as long as he could remember. When he was younger he had followed the golden rule, even if it was just simply helping his parents out in the garden on a cool afternoon, taking the pet out on an extra walk down the old sidewalk, or being there to help his brother up and wipe away his tears whenever he fell. He couldn't remember a time when he hadn't been there for someone. It was the same now, a mere seventeen years later. He volunteered at events, even though it sometimes interfered with his schedule, he helped the other students when they desperately wanted the assistance and he still had a steady eye on his brother, always there for him when he would need Matthew's help in a crisis. They were happy memories, and he smiled about them in the midst of his thoughts.

_But... _maybe that was the problem.

Not that he was kind, no that was a good thing, it was more of the fact of _how_ much he showed it. During fights, arguments, accuses, he had always chosen the more gentler approach. That wasn't always a bad thing - sometimes it was the right way - but doing it all the time, like him, was just a little. Perhaps, that's what Ivan had been referring to: the odd way he acted all the time, how he let himself be treated by complete strangers. It seemed to make sense - _no.._ he didn't think that was the correct answer, Ivan hadn't had a clue who he was yesterday, and had mistaken him for Alfred just like everyone else. He didn't have a clue who _Matthew Williams _was, he couldn't know something that personal about him.

Matthew hated to admit it, but the more he began thinking the more he realized how right Ivan was. He let everyone else push him around, he never stood up against anyone and he allowed himself to be treated like nothing more than Alfred's lesser half. Maybe a change was in order.. as if on cue he began to imagine the idea.

He could just picture it: walking down that all too familiar hallway, greeted by all those he passed - a pat on the back, a quick high-five or even one of those classic handshakes that took a minute or more to finish. They would all be calling for his name, some jocks wanting him to follow them to the cafe, a group of girls wishing for him to head out to the mall alongside them. He would laugh, saying he'd spend the day with both, an instant cheer erupting from his peers. _They accepted him. _He was more than just a simple figure who walked beside the lockers each and every day, he was _somebody_, and they all knew who he was. They followed him, listened to him, he was known, more than a shadow.

_"Matthew, Matthew, Matthew!" _

His vision soared over the crowd, but he somehow spotted a similar figure standing behind them all, barely visible as he blended in; hands placed by his sides, face with a frown and ocean blue eyes staring back, meeting Matthew's pale violet ones. _Alfred..._

_No! _He couldn't change, he had to stay there to watch his brother, or else he would end up slipping through his grasp again, and he would lose him like everyone else. He shook his head, clearing his brain of the horrendous thought.

"Hey, are you okay?"

_Screw what Ivan said!_ He shouldn't have let him get so tangled in his thoughts. Like he would know what having family so dear to you was like, knowing that one wrong move could lead to you losing them in a matter of -

_"Matthew!" _

He snapped out of his trance, hearing Ivan call his name - briefly realizing it was the first time he had actually said it, Matthew was able to catch a slight hint of struggle at the pronunciation.

"Huh?"

"Is something wrong? You look like you've just seen a ghost." He looked himself over, his hands were shaking with a tight hold on the desk, his skin had turned a pale white and he could feel himself sweating under his bangs. With a slight blush he sat back up properly, wiping his forehead and pulling his hair away from his face. He had nearly broken down in front of Ivan.

"N-no, I'm fine. Just was thinking." He laughed awkwardly, fiddling with his pencil.

Ivan nodded, toying with the end of his scarf. "You know, detentions over."

"It is?"

"Look." Ivan pointed to the clock hanging on the wall above them, Matthew followed. It read _'3:37', _he'd been in there for more than an hour.

"Oh. You're right." He stood, grabbing his notebook and sliding it into his knapsack, before quickly throwing it onto his back. He was confused when he noticed Ivan made no sign of moving.

"Aren't you leaving?"

"No, I'm going to stay a little longer." Matthew raised a brow, why on earth would Ivan want to _stay _here.

"O-oh, okay. See you then." Ivan hummed in response, Matthew not looking back as he exited through the door, gently closing it behind himself. He took a peek through the side window, able to see Ivan inside. He was expecting him to get up as soon he had left, but the Russian did nothing of the sort, only staying in his seat. Matthew shrugged, walking away from the room and down the hall.

It was silent as he treaded through the lonesome school, no other people were in the building except for the occasional teacher he spotted here and there. He was looking forward to seeing his brother, who had told Matthew via cell phone he would pick him up after the detention was over. He smiled, it would nice to spend some time with Alfred, especially after such an unpleasant time spent with Ivan. He cleared his mind, not wanting to dwell on the events any further. He wanted to just leave the school, go home, and take a nice rest without any more interruptions -

"Alfred!"

_He needed to stop jinxing himself..._

Matthew sighed, knowing someone had once again mistaken him, but his spirit lifted a tad at the realization of who it was. Katyusha was jogging towards him, a bright blue coat fitted on her along with a matching pair of mittens and a bright smile as she spoke again.

"Alfred, is Ivan still in detention -"

She stopped to stand in front of him, looking Matthew over for a second.

_"Oh.."_

"What?" Matthew asked curiously.

"I'm so sorry! You're not Alfred!" Kat began, a frown hitting her face as she flushed.

"Oh, that's okay. I get mistaken for him all the time." He laughed, sure, he was upset a little but at least Kat had actually realized he wasn't his twin.

"I'm still sorry though, you just look so much like him..." She still sounded upset.

"I'm his brother actually,"

"You are! I didn't know Alfred had a sibling, do you mind me asking your name?"

"Matthew."

"It's nice to meet you, _Matthew_." She smiled, reaching forward a hand that Matthew took with a grin.

"You're Katyusha right? Ivan's sister?" He already knew the info, but he thought it be a good idea to make sure he was right.

"Yes I am!" A laugh. "I was just coming to get him, do you know if he's still there?"

"I walked past and saw him sitting inside, so he's still waiting." He decided not to tell Kat the whole story, it would take too long to explain anyways, and besides, Ivan was probably going to say something eventually.

"Thank you Matthew! I'll go check on him, see you around!" With a quick smile, and a wave of her hand Kat was off, racing down the hall towards the room Matthew had just left. He grinned, watching her leave, turning to continue his trek beside the endless row of lockers.

It was another five minutes of walking in silence before he finally arrived back in the section his locker was located, quickly grabbing his stuff from the compartment before heading out the front doors.

"Mattie!" He was brought into a tight hug, two arms wrapping themselves around his torso and lifting him slightly off the ground. He laughed, instantly recognizing the blonde hair that flashed in front of him, along with the familiar smell of hamburgers and his brother's favorite cologne.

"Hey Al." He was placed down, but Alfred still held his shoulders as he expected him.

"That jerk didn't hurt you did he? If he did I swear-"

"Calm down, he didn't do anything." Matthew gave a reassuring smile, tapping his brother gently on the arm - as a sign to try and calm him.

"Are you sure? He didn't try any form of manipulation?" Obviously the action did nothing on his part.

Matthew giggled, wondering where Alfred had got such non sense; the rumors about Ivan were pretty out there, but Alfred was going a little over board. "I promise you, okay? Now, can we please go home, I'm really hungry."

"You bet!" He wrapped an arm around Matthew's shoulders, dragging his brother down the steps. "How about we have some pancakes?"

"Pancakes! Of course!" Matthew's face lit up at the mention of his favorite meal: he could never turn down an offer that promised the delicious baked good.

Alfred walked with him over to their shared car, it was nothing special but it could take them from point A to B, and that was good enough. It was bright red, Alfred's choice, with a few dents near the front, Alfred was also to blame for those.

He sat himself down in the passenger seat, his brother sitting beside him on the driver's side, starting the car with a loud roar before driving off. Matthew watched the lights of the city pass by outside the window, it wasn't dark yet but a light could always be seen no matter what the time.

He titled his head, eyeing Alfred who was keeping his gaze focused on the road ahead. He was looking forward to the meal they would be having shortly, but, even though he was content: at peace with his brother, he couldn't stop but to wonder about Ivan - what he was doing at that moment, and just what his words had meant.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

"Here you are bro! Dig in!"

A large plate of honey brown colored pancakes was placed in front of Matthew, already drenched in syrup as some even started dripping onto the table cloth underneath. He licked his lips, smiling.

"Thanks Alfred!" He quickly brought a fork up to mouth, taking a large bite of the delicacy. His mouth watered as savored the taste; sweet, delectable - he could go on for ages. Alfred laughed, sitting in a seat placed beside his brother and taking a small sip of the coca cola he had grabbed for himself earlier, he had made enough pancakes for both of them, but he decided it was just going to be Matthew's treat.

"Are they alright?" Alfred asked.

"Alright!?" Matthew attempted to continuing talking, even when his mouth was full "There amazing!" He managed to say, even through all the food. Next to himself, of course, Alfred made the best pancakes. Unlike the way Matthew cooked his, they had a little zing to them, a small pinch that increased the flavor. He had always thought it was some sort of secret ingredient Alfred added, for years he begged to know the secret, but Alfred had never spilt the beans.

When they were nine, Matthew had gone far enough to propose a proposition to his brother, agreeing to taking care of all his chores in exchange for the truth. Alfred had kept the promise, and after three weeks of the labor, told Matthew. _Except_, he told him it was broccoli drenched in hot sauce... Alfred got a swat across his head for that - not only because he lied and took advantage of him, but Matthew had actually attempted to make pancakes using the ingredients, and nearly burned down the kitchen in the process . They both could have their moments.

"I'm glad." Alfred said, chugging down another sip of his drink and leaning back in his chair.

Both decided to stay in silence, neither desiring to speak at that moment. Matthew took another bite, near completion of his snack, he noticed Alfred seem to be concentrating on something; his fingers tapping against the table while he rested his head on his spare hand, coke now finished.

He swallowed, opening his mouth to speak but Alfred beat him to it. "Matt, can I ask you something?" His voice was calm, but questioning as if on the verge of wonder.

He nodded. "Sure, what do you need?"

"Well, I noticed something went missing from my room yesterday,"

Matthew stopped chewing, freezing in his spot. "_Missing?" _

"Yeah, I had it placed on my floor, but when I went to try and find it this morning I noticed it was gone. I hadn't been too concerned at the time; it ended up slipping my mind until now."

He paused, could Alfred be talking about.. "What was it?"

"Just a scarf." Matthew stopped eating, suddenly feeling his appetite leave his stomach.

"Oh.. that's sad. Was it nice?"

"Nah, it was kind of torn a bit. And it smelt kind of gross."

_'Maybe that's cause you stuffed it in your garbage can..'_ He thought, placing his fork back down on the plate, a few remaining pieces of pancake scattered across it. "Do you know where it went?"

"That's what I was getting at, did you perhaps see it anywhere? It was large, and a light purplish color."

Matthew shook his head, breath uneasy as he spoke."N-no.. I haven't seen something like that." He didn't want to lie, but he felt upset with Alfred. He still didn't understand why he had decided to steal Ivan's scarf, and he was lying to Matthew's face as well! He wasn't speaking the whole truth, and avoiding the main aspects. "I'll keep an eye out though for it."

A small smile. "Thanks, it's pretty important actually. I don't want anything to happen to it.."

Matthew stood from the table, abandoning his plate and leaving the room. He just couldn't speak with him at the moment, knowing Alfred was lying straight to his face.

"Woah, Mattie! Where you going! You didn't even finish your food!" Alfred called, catching up to his brother as he entered the living room. Matthew grabbed his coat that he had flung earlier onto the couch, before turning to his bedroom.

"I'm just not that hungry." He lied, entering the small room and grabbing his hat placed on the bed stand; Alfred still on his heels.

"Not hungry! Bro it's pancakes, you never pass those up!" Alfred stood in the door way, Matthew managed to squeeze past him and continued back towards the door but had to stop when he realized the keys weren't on the hook.

"Al, where are the keys?" He asked, putting on his jacket.

"Why do you want them?" Alfred stood in front of Matthew, hands crossed in front of his chest, eyes filled with confusion.

"I just do, give them." He didn't want to raise his voice, but he kept stern.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong."

"I'm fine, I just need to go somewhere and -"

"Stop lying, what's the matter?" Alfred stepped closer, concern passing his face. "Bro, you can tell me."

_No I can't.._ He thought for a second, before speaking a decent enough answer. "I just want to head down to the zoo, my shift is going to start soon."

"Matt, it's only 4:30, you don't need to get there until 6:20 -"

"Can I please just have the keys!" He didn't want to argue anymore, he couldn't question Alfred about the scarf, it would only just raise suspicion and induce more unnecessary fighting. He would defiantly start to wonder why Matthew cared about it to begin with.

Alfred first was in shock, but his expression slowly changed into a frown, as he raised his hand out of his pocket, a small locket underneath his palm; the keys. "Fine, but can I know why you want to leave so early first."

"I just want to spend some extra time with Kumishamo. That's all." It wasn't a complete lie, Matthew loved to be with the bear.

His brother laughed." You know that's not his name."

"Were _not _about to have this conversation again." Matthew would rather not argue with Alfred about the bear's name at this time, he just couldn't remember it all the time, it was simply just that.

"Fine, here." He tossed the metal bundle, Matthew catching them easily with a quick twist of his wrist. He smiled.

"Thanks Al, I'll be back at nine."

"I'll be waiting, to make sure you don't sneak anything!" Matthew laughed.

"Yeah, because _I'm _the bad one." He closed the door behind him, hearing his brother's small chuckles from the other side. He walked down the hall, passing the many other rooms that surrounded them and quickly reaching the steps. He raced down them, rather than walking and soon found himself at the garage; locating the bright red vehicle in a few seconds. He sat himself down in the seat, placing in the keys and driving out.

For the past two years, he had work at their local zoo. He didn't do anything too important: sweeping around the park, being part of a few presentations, and when he was lucky, being allowed into the cages. Of course, none of this compared to the main reason he stayed in the job, because of a certain creature who had become almost like a second soul to him.

It was none other than a simple polar bear, rescued and brought into their small zoo; he'd been there for a year now.

Ever since the first day he arrived, Matthew had felt something towards him - like a missing link. He didn't care how cliché he sounded for saying it, it simply was just the truth. All the members had tried to coax the cub out of its box - treats, toys but nothing worked. It simply growled and turned around, insisting on keeping to itself. Matthew was the last to try, they had given up hope and he was more of just a simple game of chance then a last resort. But somehow, when he sat on the ground in front of it, looking into its brown eyes, it stared back and walked out.

He didn't move when the bear went to sniff him and the staff watched with eyes in disbelief. Then, he laid down, resting his head on Matthew's lap and drifting off to sleep; all worries leaving him in a matter of seconds.

After the event, he had been promoted to assistant manager over the polar bear exhibit, and had even got to name the bear: _'Kumijuro' _he chose in memory of the dog he had as a pet when he younger and ever since that day, their bond just continued to get stronger.

He smiled, enjoying the memories of his friend; one of the things that always managed to keep a grin placed on his face. He continued down the streets, wondering what Alfred was doing at that moment: playing a video game, sleeping, cooking some dinner for himself, _realizing Matthew had lied to him._

"No," He said, shaking his head."You didn't do anything wrong, you just didn't want Alfred lying to you, that's all." He assured himself. If his brother was going to keep secrets from him, then he wasn't going to be completely honest either. Of course, it wasn't like it was a huge matter, it _was_ just Ivan's scarf.

Why was this such an issue anyways, he didn't care about the Russian. Ivan was just like everyone else, just another student attending his school, that was it, nothing more. Well, unless you count _detention buddies _as a step up from unwanted acquaintances.

Matthew wished Ivan was a little kinder, like his sister, then it would make this scenario more easier. Ivan didn't have to act like a jerk all the time.

He thought again, and a small realization hit him, and he almost stopped the car in the moment. Ivan was an ass, rude and _horribly_ inconsiderate to pretty much everyone. But even with so many bad titles mentioned alongside his name, and Matthew knowing a lot of them were true, Ivan had seen him, and was able to realize it was Matthew and not Alfred when he walked into that detention room only a couple hours earlier.

Ivan Braginski had been the first person to remember the small blonde named Matthew Williams, and not mistake him for his brother.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

.-~Thank you for reading~-.

_Sorry for the late update! Been very busy as of late~_

_Next chapter, woop woop! I actually really like how this turned out, it's pretty much all Matthew this time around. Were stuck inside his head a lot, and in his thoughts. I hope his 'dream' or 'vision' in the first paragraphs was in character - he is constantly ignored, and doesn't really have any friends, so I thought it would only natural for him to occasionally wish for being more. We've all thought it before, right? *no one raises hand except me* Okay, never mind... _

_Anyways, thanks for all the Reviews, Favorites and Follows! Hope this chapter is all right for all you guys~_

_Please, do review and tell me how you think about this, if the styles okay, the story etc. Please drop a review below so I can know! I'd greatly appreciate it! Until next time~ _

_-Radi0_

**_- _P.S I Am Still Looking for A Beta! Please P.M if you're interested!**

**I do not own Hetalia. For If I did, there would be a lot more Yaoi -ruscan-. **


	4. Complicated

_**Chapter 4: Complicated **_

"Look at them Mattie, acting so innocent and casual. It sickens me."

"Yeah I know, there scaring me a little..."

Matthew continued beside his brother, following the familiar sidewalk path and staring across the street alongside Alfred. It was the following morning and a rather gorgeous looking Thursday sky was placed over them - with the slightest hint of purple details below the slowly moving sunrise; colliding in the mix of blue and red color. The mood was sadly ruined by the disgusting sight located opposite of them - dark, gloomy buildings with hidden alleyways around each corner; littered garbage scattered across the concrete and mysterious and dangerous looking figures eyeing them rather uncomfortably.

They had moved to the large Canadian city a few years ago with their father, deciding to leave the busy and rapid cities of Canada's southern counterpart to instead settle somewhere in the calm north. Originally they had planned on living somewhere in the country - with endless rolling hills, forests in every direction you looked and the sweet, intoxicating feeling of peace; but, their fathers job decided elsewhere, and they instead ended up having to stay in an apartment, located in the center of all traffic with endless rows of skyscrapers reaching far beyond the clouds beside them. They may have been skeptical at first of the idea, but over time, Matthew and Alfred grew to love the city; with its crowded streets, loud mornings, constant light and amazing views. Though, all good things sadly come with a downside, and the city sure did have them.

They may have moved to one of the safest cities out there, but that didn't meant it hadn't come with its fair share of criminals. They were quite a few groups - gangs, some worse than others. Their crimes ranged anywhere from a simple purse being stolen to a full blown out robbery of a large mall. If you got caught in one of them, you'd just have to pray for the latter of the two.

"I heard there was another break in last night; they stole a ton of jewelry from this small corner store. Feel horrible for them.." Alfred said, turning back towards Matthew as the odd looking strangers disappeared into the distance behind them.

"That's horrible.. there's been a lot lately, eh?" He replied, remembering the disaster vaguely from watching a tad bit about it on the news. He hoped the people were all okay.

"You can say that again.. Feels like there just growing larger each day."

Alfred was right, crime had increased a lot in the past two years. When they first arrived those few years ago, it wasn't bad at all, in fact, there had only been one gang known well throughout the streets, and they had only a few crimes under their belts. However, starting a couple years ago, crime had gone up rapidly: more robberies, beatings, violent acts; it was unexpected, and baffled many people. Some thought it from a new boss, while others believed it was from an increase of members. It was still a mystery in the progress of being solved.

"Apparently someone also was kidnapped that night, I don't know if it actually happened; I think it's just a rumour."  
"I hope it didn't happen.. that sounds horrible." Matthew shivered at the thought: being held captive, far from your family, all alone with complete strangers, your life on the edge. Such a horrid reality..

"At this rate," Alfred laughed to his brother. "It's only a matter of time till it happens to you!"

Matthew froze, glaring to his brother in a frightened rage. "How could you say that! Don't scare me!"

"I'm just kidding Mattie!" Alfred flung an arm around his brother's shoulder, pulling him close. "It was only a joke."

"I don't care! Just, don't say those things..." Matthew looked away, holding his arms closer around his body; red sweater keeping him warm beneath a light fall jacket. He turned back to Alfred, still with a frown. "Please, j-just... don't talk like that."

"I'm sorry," Alfred smiled, giving Matthew a light squeeze. "Besides, I'd be there to rescue you if it ever happened!"

Matthew laughed, hugging Alfred back gently. "I'm sure you would be."

The small embrace ended as they finally arrived at the School, the two separating to head their own ways: Alfred instantly finding Arthur by the fountain yet again while Matthew slowly began walking towards the doors. His eyes darted across the lawn, noticing all the familiar teens he saw each and every day, however, he couldn't help but feel something was missing. He didn't understand at first, deciding to continue to look around until he found his answer; finally noticing when he saw a very bland looking spot along the wall.

He didn't see Ivan.

Matthew glanced around the yard again to confirm it, unable to see the silver hair teen anywhere. It wasn't like Ivan blended in very well with everyone else - with his hair and attire, he stuck out like a sore thumb. But even with the search over dozens of heads, he couldn't locate him.

_Had he gone inside already? Was something up? Why wasn't he on the wall like yesterday? _

Matthew shook his head, bringing a hand up to rest in his hair. He was overreacting over this. Heck, he'd only seen Ivan against the wall _once_. It wasn't like the teen stood in the same spot each and every day, he probably had better things to do. Maybe it was because he couldn't find Ivan anywhere, it wasn't just the wall where he had seen him yesterday, it was that he couldn't locate him in general. He sighed.

"Why do I give two damns anyway," He breathed, retracting his hand from his curls to pull his knapsack tighter around his shoulder. "I could honestly care less about him.."

He continued towards the steps; he wanted to put his books away and head to class quickly. He had a test the next day, and he didn't want to get a bad grade anytime soon. Mrs. Mary wasn't the nicest when it came to giving -

"Birdie!"

Matthew only had a few seconds to turn around, before he found himself suddenly in a tight hug: two large arms wrapping themselves around his upper torso, trapping him. His first reaction was to struggle, but he felt himself warm at the sight of the stranger.

"Gilbert! It's so great to see you again!" The pale streaked male laughed, placing down his friend to give him a proper hug; one that Matthew returned with a smile. When they pulled away, grins remained on each of their faces. "How have you been doing Gil, it seems like it's been forever!"

Gilbert was one of Matthew's few friends, and one he had known for a majority of his life. He had met the German in elementary school, all those years ago and after getting over the fact he held a rather large ego, they had become instant friends. Gilbert had to leave a few months ago, for reasons involving his young brother Ludwig and sports teams. They had bid farewell, and hadn't seen each other since. Even after all those months, Matthew was glad to see that Gil hadn't changed much at all. He still had the same shaggy grey hair, always looking uncombed and untouched in its mess; those pale red eyes that were such a mystery, with their hues of magenta and violet mixing as one; and you couldn't forget about his unique outfit choices: today he was wearing a large checkered scarf that folded over a dark red hoodie, that was covering a black tee. A pair of ripped jeans finished the outfit off well, and Mathew gleamed to his friend.

"I know right!" Gilbert smiled, wrapping an arm around Matthew. "How long has it been, a year?"

"No, silly. You left in spring, so it's only been a little while."

"Oh you're right! You're still the same, smart Ol' birdie!" Gilbert ruffled Matthew's hair, fluffing up the curls. Matthew laughed in protest, pushing away his hands.

"Hey! Stop that Gil!" He pushed his friend back with a giggle, as he brought a hand up to fix his hair.

"Kesesese~" Gilbert grinned, putting his hands into his pockets. "So, has anything new sprung up?"

"Not really, everything is pretty much the same." Matthew replied, beginning to walk back towards the steps and motioning for his friend to follow. "So, are you and Ludwig coming back to the school?"

"Nah. Just came back to do a few games, were going to be heading back to the States in a couple weeks actually."

"Oh," Matthew frowned, he had been hoping Gil would be staying. He missed having someone who acknowledged him at the school. "That sucks."

"Hey, don't worry! We can still hang out after school, and on the weekends before I have to go; like old times!"

"Really?"

Matthew had so many memories that included the silver haired teen; they were some of the best he had. He could remember endless days of them walking to their favorite park: where they would take turns on the swings, run around amongst the endless grass and Gil's personal favorite, feeds the many birds that would approach them. Alfred would join them from time to time, and they all would enjoy a day of exploring, discovering, and laughter. One of Matthew's favorite past times was simply heading to the old ice cream shop located down the street from their apartment complex; where they would each get a new flavor every day and spend the remainder of their time eating the treats outside and watching the traffic past by. Such great times..

"You bet! How about this weekend? We could do whatever you want!"

"That sounds great Gil." The pair stopped when they finally reached Matthew's locker. "I'll call you on Saturday, okay?"

"Sounds okay to me." Gilbert looked across the hall, noticing his old friends Francis and Antonio talking against the wall, noticing him and waving for him to join them. "I'll see you around, okay?"

"Okay, nice talking again Gil."

"You bet birdie~" Matthew watched Gilbert walk over to his friends, signalling a small goodbye before turning back to his locker to grab his books.

He was surprised when he felt a small tap on his shoulder, looking around to see Katyusha standing behind him.

"Hey Matthew! It's nice to see you again!" She gleamed with a bright smile.

"Oh, hey Kat." Matthew smiled, closing the locker to see her better. "Is there something you need?"

"Actually, I wanted to apologize again for mistaking you for Alfred yesterday. I just feel horrible about doing that.." She frowned, hiding her face.

"Kat it's fine!" Matthew reached a hand forward, resting on her arm and giving her a slight grin. "It doesn't matter."

"You're sure?" Kat brought a hand up to her eyes, wiping away a few small tears. _Oh no_, she was crying.

"I promise you." He didn't want her to be upset over such a small matter. She only mistake him for his brother, everyone did that.

"Okay, as long as you aren't mad." He returned a weak smile, he wasn't angry or anything, but still a little upset that he had been forgotten again; he didn't want Katyusha to know this though, it honestly wasn't a big deal.

"Yeah it's okay, please don't get too upset over it."

"Thanks Matthew," She wiped her eyes again, her cheeks a tad puffy. "If you don't mind, I wanted to ask you something else.."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well, I saw you yesterday at the detention but I never saw Alfred and he wasn't in the room when I got Ivan. I asked him if Alfred had already left, but he said he hadn't gone there in the first place and Ivan wouldn't tell me anymore than that.. I'm just a little curious."

_Oh boy_, Matthew pondered for a second, thinking on how he would go about explaining this all to her to where it would make sense. Ivan had been _yet again_ been a jerk and left this on Matthew's shoulders; he probably was hoping Matthew would tell Kat, so he wouldn't have too. _He's a little childish.._

"Well," He gave a sigh. "Me and Alfred actually-"

A loud ringing noise echoed through the halls, stopping Matthew mid-sentence. A rush of students began in each and every direction beside Kat and him.

"How about I tell you at lunch Kat, so we're not late for class?"

"Yeah, that's a better plan. Catch you around Matthew!" She waved a goodbye, before disappearing within a crowd of teenagers heading upstairs.

Matthew followed suit, heading quickly down the hall to get to his Math class.

He gave a breathe of relief, glad he wasn't the last to arrive. He glanced around, seeing Alfred leaning against the wall and chatting it up with a girl. He took his seat at the front, placing down his notes on the double desk and turning to the clear board.

"Everyone take your seats please!" The teacher called, grabbing a piece of chalk and beginning to write the day's equations.

"Bro! You don't mind if I sit beside you right!" Alfred quickly sat alongside Matthew, giving his brother no time to even answer the question.

"I guess not.." He joked, opening up the textbook for Alfred. He peered backwards, looking to the far corner of the room where an empty desk was placed.

Ivan still wasn't here.

Matthew may have only recently been paying more attention to the Russian, but he knew his normal seat. Actually, everyone knew it was his. He sat there each and every day, and if someone different was caught in it, he'd be sure to give them a quick talking too - that resulted with them almost always face first on the ground.

He wonder if he was sick, or just simply absent. Maybe something was wrong..

"Mattie, could you help me with this question here?"

"Huh?"

"Number two bro! You know, with the arrow things." Matthew shook himself out of his small trance, looking back to Alfred, who was pointing to the book with a large pout.

"Yeah, sure.."

He let the thought leave his mind, turning towards Alfred to begin explaining the equation, the class continuing on as usual.

However, he couldn't stop his eyes from glaring occasionally to the lonesome chair in the back, no matter how hard he tried to look away.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

"Wait, so you went to the detention pretending to be Alfred?"

"Yeah, I know it may sound confusing but it's the truth."

"No, I understand but.. why did you do that?"

Matthew was sitting with Katyusha at a table in the cafeteria, it was now lunch and many other students surrounded them from all sides. They had met up soon after second period, and immediately had head to the room to eat. He had began to explain the detention situation to Kat the moment they sat down, she seemed to be comprehending everything but, like Ivan, she couldn't completely understand his way of actions.

"Well, Alfred does get into these situations often and I just hate to see him in trouble. I'd rather take the blame for him then to see him like that.." He sighed a tad, awkwardly taking a bite of the poutine he was eating. He must sound like such a sap..

"That's actually very sweet of you Matthew.. I see you must really care about your brother." Kat reassured, taking a small bite of her own meal - a small salad.

"You think so?" He was actually glad that Kat seemed to understand, even it was only by a little.

"I can see it. If you'd go through that much just for Alfred.. you must be a great brother."

"Oh," His face flushed a tad at the compliment. "Thanks Kat.."

"You're welcome. If I could help Ivan like that," She smiled weakly. "I'd be really happy too."

At the mention of the Russian's name, Matthew looked properly up to Kat; remembering that he still hadn't seen him all day." If you don't mind me asking Katyusha.. where is your brother?"

"Ivan? He stayed home today to look after Natalia, she caught a terrible cold." She gave a laugh. "She begged for Ivan to stay with her, hope he doesn't catch it too."

"O-oh," Matthew couldn't believe how much he had overreacted. He should have known Ivan was just looking after his sister, he hadn't noticed her either that day. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"She's a strong little girl, Natalia, a cold is nothing." Kat smiled. "Also, don't worry, Ivan will be coming for the detention like yesterday."

"How did you-" Matthew blushed a tad, how could Kat know he was thinking about Ivan? Was it that obvious? He cleared his throat. "That's good, it be pretty lonesome in there otherwise.."

"How has Ivan been?" Kat asked. "Is he being rude to you?"

"Well," He didn't know how to exactly put it without sounding mean. "He's been talking to me.. a little. He's still pretty quiet though."

"That's actually not that bad.. I'm sorry about any comments he makes. He can't control his anger very well." She said, taking another bite of her snack.

"He hasn't really said anything that rude to me, he kept to himself a lot yesterday." Matthew admitted, Ivan had only spoken a couple times to him during the previous night. If he wasn't being rude, he was just being confusing.

"Yeah, he enjoys his solitude." Her face dropped a tad. "I wish he would be a little kinder."

Matthew's eyes opened slightly to the comment. He wanted to continue, but he was worried about how Ivan would feel about all this. Katyusha was practically spilling out information left and right about him; would Ivan really approve of his personal life being talked about like this?

"D-don't be sad Kat, I'm sure he'll grow kinder one day." Matthew knew his words were as cheesy as they went, but he was glad to see that Katyusha lightened at the comment.

"I hope so, Matthew." He grinned back nervously, deciding to change the subject before Kat spilled anything else.

"So, what classes do you have this semester?"

"I'm taking vocal music, math, english and drama."

"Oh, that's cool. I've never seen you in any of my classes though.. you're in grade 12 right?" He had actually been wondering why he had never encountered her before in any of his classes. They were taking a lot of the same subjects.

"I'm actually taking an extra year, like grade 13 as some put it." Kat replied.

"Oh! That explains a lot. Is there any reason you're staying here longer than normal?" He had heard of a few people doing the same, but he had never really knew why. He always thought it was just for extra credits.

"I want to watch over Ivan and Natalia a little more. Just to ensure myself that they're going to be okay."

"Wow.." Matthew hadn't expected such a meaningful response. "That's really kind of you."

"I just want to protect them for as long as I can." She laughed. "I know it sounds kind of ridiculous, but I just want to make sure they're always okay."

"No! I understand, that's how I feel about my brother." He joined in her small fit of laughter. "I want to do just the same."

The pair ended their laugh with a smile. Matthew continued to eat his poutine, tilting his head to look to Katyusha. "Siblings, eh?"

Kat looked to him, a small shine tinting in her eyes at the comment as she returned the gesture to him.

"You have no idea Matthew..."

..oO0(|)0Oo..

"Did you make sure to get all the notes during class?"

"Yes."

"Did you remember to write down _all _the homework this time?"

"..yes."

"Did you grab all you textbooks - "

"_Mattie_! I promise you I'm fine!"

Matthew laughed, peering to his brother with a smile. "I know. Just checking."

The end of the day had rolled in rather quickly, and Matthew was at his locker alongside Alfred, grabbing his notebooks and ensuring Alfred had done the same. He normally helped his brother study each night for their tests, but because of the whole _detention _scenario, it wasn't exactly fully possible anymore. So, Alfred would need to make do on his own for a bit.

"I hope you are. I'm not that dumb." Alfred proceeded to puff out his lip in frustration.

"Your marks seem to say otherwise."

"_Hey!" _

"I'm just kidding! Don't get so frustrated." He handed a notebook to Alfred, holding up a hand when his brother wanted to question him. "This has a few extra things in it. For math, history etc. Only use it if you absolutely have to, okay?"

"Alright bro!" Alfred gave a small salute. "I'll make sure to do so after my practice tonight."

_Oh yeah.. sports. _The only reason Matthew had to go to these punishments posing as his brother. If he recalled, Alfred had soccer starting in a bit.

"I'll come watch you after it's over, got it? As long as you promise to make dinner when we get home." Matthew snickered a bit. He may be stuck in school for an extra hour each day, but at least he was getting some food out of it.

"Sounds good to me! Now, what would you like to have for -"

Alfred was interrupted as the front doors opened behind him rather loudly, echoing in the quiet hallway. Both turned to see who the intruder was; Alfred's face frowning in disgust while Matthew stared with curiosity.

It was Ivan.

The tall teen had on his regular attire: thick jacket, shaggy jeans and large scarf. His hair was messy, and covering more of his face than usual. He eyed Alfred and Matthew, keeping his attention held on the Canadian a tad longer before continuing down the hallway pass them, and disappearing around a corner.

Matthew had got a tad shaken by the stare, while Alfred hadn't taken his eyes off Ivan's scarf. He turned back to Matthew, looking as though he wanted to say something, but quickly dismissing the thought.

"I'll see you in a bit, Alfred." Matthew smiled, closing his locker and giving his brother a light hug.

"Yeah, see you Mattie." The two separated, each heading in opposite ways; Matthew following after Ivan and Alfred pushing through the front doors, eyeing Matthew once more in question before leaving.

Matthew watched as Ivan walked into the classroom, he frowned a tad in disappointment when he didn't hold the door open for him; even with Matthew being a short distance away.

When he finally arrived at the door for himself, he opened it with caution, peering inside to see that Ivan was seated in the same spot as yesterday with feet casually settled a top a desk. He walked inside slowly, closing the door gently and sitting down in the same spot he had chosen yesterday, looking to Ivan wearily.

"H-hey.. Ivan." Matthew said weakly in his quiet tone. The Russian nodded his head, not turning but replying with a small 'hmm' in response.

He frowned, leaning back in his seat. He wanted to attempt a conversation, but Ivan made things very difficult.

"So, where were you today?"

"None of your business."

"Were you sick?"

"No."

"Injured?"

"No."

"Did something happen -"

"I said it was none of your business!" Ivan yelled, glaring to Matthew with distaste. "Stop bothering me!"

Matthew shrunk down at the tone, looking away sadly. "Geez.. sorry."

_He wondered why he even bothered... _

It was another awkward twenty minutes of silence before Ivan spoke again. Surprising Matthew with his question, as the Canadian looked up from his notes on the World War to stare.

"What did you say?" Ivan sighed in annoyance before looking back, repeating his question.

"Do you want something?"

"Excuse me?"

"I said 'Do you want something?'" Ivan repeating himself didn't really help Matthew much.

"Ivan, I don't understand..."

"Err," He groaned. "Remember when you got my scarf back for me?"

"Yeah," Matthew was wondering where he was heading with this..

"Well, you did a favor for me, and normally when people do favors they want something back in return, right?"

Matthew nodded, slowly beginning to understand what he meant, but, _why_ would Ivan tell him this?

"I thought you would have asked for something by now, but you made no indication of doing so."

"What are you exactly trying to tell me here Ivan?"

"_Do _you wanting something?" Matthew was taken slightly back by this. Was Ivan in debt to _him _now? When had that happened? And why would Ivan even care if he was?

"Why would you care?" He asked, his voice coming out harsher then he had originally meant. Ivan's eyes opened slightly at the tone as he turned to hide his face.

"I honestly couldn't, but it's the right thing to do."

Matthew still couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not only had Ivan spoken to him for a reason beyond arguing and insults, but he also was acting different. He would go far enough and say he was being _nice _to him; Ivan was speaking with morals, something Matthew thought the Russian wouldn't care about.

He dismissed his thoughts to get back to the conversation at hand. Ivan owed him. He had one of the scariest teens in high school in the palm of his hand. Was this an opportunity? There was a list of endless things he could ask for: help, money, friendship etc. Matthew had a chance. Could he use it to gain advantage?

"Thanks Ivan, but I'm fine." Matthew wasn't surprised when Ivan stared at him as if he had just given up a winning lottery ticket.

"_No?_"

"Yeah."

"You seriously don't want anything?" Matthew bit his lip, there were tons of things he did want to ask for, but he didn't feel right about taking advantage of Ivan like that. He hadn't done Ivan the favor because he wanted something back in the first place anyways.

"Yeah, I don't."

"Then why'd you help me?" The Russian was 100% confused; staring to the Canadian with his eyes opened and an eyebrow raised. Matthew looked back much the same, Ivan didn't know the answer, really? Had he ever heard of someone ever just being nice?

"I was just being kind. I didn't do it for any other reason."

Matthew waited for Ivan, the Russian in midst of thought; staring to him in shock and awe.

It was a few seconds before a sarcastic smirk broke out across Ivan's face. A small laugh.

"You really are a pansy."

Silence.

Why did Ivan have to be so confusing? He went from showing kindness, to turning into an ass. Matthew squinted his eyes, gritting his teeth.

"You're just a jerk!" He looked away, turning to his paper and trying to hide the tears as they began to form along his eyes; Ivan's laughter ceasing in the background.

_And to think, he had actually lied to his brother over this jerk_. Matthew sighed. _He really needed to get his priorities straightened soon..._

..oO0(|)0Oo..

.-~Thank you for reading~-.

This was supposed to be out last night, but life hates me.

Again I shall thank you guys for the faves, reviews and follows. I hope this chapter is good enough for you guys~

Also, been thinking on how long this may be. Thinking maybe 30+. I have a lot of ideas in mind.

Hmm.. would it be okay if i set a review goal? I'm not gonna do anything over complicated, but could we say .. 18? There's 14 right now, and I'd love to know how you feel about the story thus far, along with any ideas you have in mind. You guys have been so nice, I'm sure you could easily reach 18.

Well, I'll try to get the next chapter up soon~ Until then.

-Radi0

**I sadly do not own Hetalia. **


	5. Coward

_**Chapter 5: Coward**_

The moment the clock struck three-thirty, Matthew was up from his seat grabbing his knapsack and already heading towards the door, all while Ivan stayed seated across from him.

They hadn't spoken since Ivan's last comment, more by Matthew's own choice than anything else; he had seen no need or desire to continue speaking with him. The Russian was just so peculiar; going from being sincere and noble to rude and sarcastic in a matter of sentences. Matthew hadn't known someone quite like him before, and he couldn't help the small desire he had to get to know Ivan. This was trait he had always held, wanting to understand a person; their flaws, talents, and dreams.

He did want to be kind to Ivan, but he wanted at least a tad bit of respect back in return, and sadly, Ivan didn't seem to really care about any of this.

"Are you going to stay here again?" Matthew asked, one hand resting on the doorknob and the other holding his backpack tightly against his shoulder.

"Yeah." Ivan replied, still resting in the chair off in the corner.

"Okay, see you." Ivan made no sign of a response and Matthew left, deciding he didn't want to wait for one. He eased the door closed gently, looking through the pale window that showed the class once more before walking away from the room with a sigh.

Two down and _who knows_ how many to go.

So far, the detentions hadn't been that bad, in Matthew's honest opinion. He knew they weren't getting along the greatest, but Ivan had made an attempt at a conversation once or twice, and even if they had ended in arguments, at least he had cared enough to _try_.

Matthew wondered how the detentions might have gone if Alfred had actually taken the punishment. He couldn't imagine Ivan and Al being able to stand each other for a few minutes, let alone a whole month. When you added into account how much the two hated one another, you could see why it was just a recipe for disaster. Also mix in their personalities, with Ivan's hatred for everyone and Alfred's obnoxious brain, and it just worsened the idea.

Ivan already seemed to dislike him quite a bit at this point, even though they had been introduced to one another only a couple days ago, but the more Matthew thought about it, the more he didn't understand _why. _He wasn't trying to sound arrogant, but he couldn't think of a reason as to why Ivan _would_ dislike him. He hadn't done anything horrible to him- not just in the past few days, but in general; including when the Russian had first moved those many months ago here to Canada. He had never done anything to Ivan, from what he could remember.

Alfred was a completely different case; those two had never gotten along. Matthew didn't know what it was that caused his brother to be a complete ass to some people; genes, media influence (he was leaning more towards this one; Al never left the TV alone) or his friends were a start, but he had always believed it was just who Alfred was. He could remember days when both of the high-spirited teens would get into brawls; fists flying through the air, clothes ripped from skin, cuts and bruises appearing, all being encouraged by the large ring of students that would surround them. Matthew had luckily managed to stop a few fights, but Alfred's injuries following weren't of the same grounds. Katyusha was much the same towards Ivan; while Mattie dragged his brother away, she would be leading Ivan, avoiding the many eyes normally looking their way.

Alfred never took responsibility for the fights; he always would blame them on the Russian for a multitude of reasons. If there was anyone to point fingers at, for what Matthew thought what he did of Ivan - involving the many rumors and stories - it was Alfred. His brother would go on and on about what he did each night; that Ivan was a bully, rude, mean; that he was in trouble with the law, that he was a licensed murderer. Matthew had always known that a majority of them were fake- they were too wild to be true- but that didn't mean they hadn't affected his view on Ivan.

He couldn't deny that the teen was scary. Intimidating, as if there was always a strange aura surrounding him. He always walked like he owned where he stood, like if you stepped in his path he would show you what the consequence for such an action was. Ivan Braginski was just flat-out frightening to be around. It was that simple.

Even with such a mean-spirited title, Matthew was still curious. His brother always told him how evil he was, but Kat had made it seem like there was more to Ivan during their conversation earlier. She hadn't told him much, but her few words had opened up a couple windows.

_Was it possible that Ivan was just misunderstood? _

He shook his head, a hand coming to rest between his eyes. "I need to stop over thinking everything," Matthew breathed. He couldn't believe how easily Ivan was able to infiltrate his thoughts. Since when had he begun caring so much?

With an awkward blush creeping onto his cheeks, he let the topic slip from his mind and decided to instead focus on heading outside. Alfred was waiting there, probably in the midst of an intense game with Ludwig. Both were extremely competitive when it came to sports, and it definitely showed on the field.

He continued by the lockers, front doors finally in sight. He was a little surprised to have not seen Katyusha yet; she had seemed pretty eager to find her brother yesterday, but now she was nowhere in sight. He was hoping nothing had happened to her; they might have only made relevance yesterday but she was one of the nicest people he had met in a long time. So open and eager, always a smile parked on her face caring so much for everyone.

It almost made Matthew do a double-take over the family- Kat was just so different compared to Ivan and Natalia. Besides their similar hair color, they shared no obvious traits. It was amazing at just how different some people could be. _Another wonder_, he thought, pushing open the door and stepping onto concrete.

Matthew took a nice long breath when he felt the cool autumn hair hit his face, _finally _outside after a long day of being cramped inside class rooms. He couldn't resist stretching out his arms, the breeze lifting up his sun-colored hair to twirl amongst a few auburn colored leaves that surrounded him. A delicious smell hit his nose: _peace, calmness, warmth…_ all things that you wouldn't expect to hold scents, but each was noticeable in the air. It may only be a few color changes, and a climate switch to some people, but to him, it was _heaven. _Every season did this to him; spring, with its flowers that went beyond the colors of a single rainbow; summer, with its endless fields of grass as far as the eye could see; winter, beautiful layers of white that covered each and every mile and finally fall, with its amazing shades of red, festive events happening each and every day, and, his favorite, the leaves. He felt as if they enchanted him with their patterns, textures and breathtaking tones; the simple way they soared through the sky. Some days, he wished he could do the same - simply fly through the clouds, feeling so humble, so _free. _A dream that he had had for so long, an almost inevitable hope-

_"Ahem." _

A rather rude grunt interrupted his notions, stopping him in the midst of thought. He looked toward the origin of the noise wanting to give its owner a piece of his mind for ruining such an amazing moment, but the idea slipped his mind as fast as it had come as he turned and found that his throat went immensely dry.

It wasn't a single person, but instead a group of teenagers. They looked to be students, but Matthew had never seen them around the campus before, and with such _attire _he would have definitely been able to pin-point them.

They were all draped in black from head to toe in V-neck shirts, tank tops, and large baggy pants. Tattoos were cluttered along any visible patch of skin; snakes, skulls, symbols, anything one could think of. Hair was beyond messy, in different arrays of styles that were twisted from left to right, dyes of every color staining it. There were three guys and two girls but it was almost impossible to tell with the clothing they were wearing. _Who the heck were they?_

All of their eyes were filled with confusion, body postures tilted and faces fixed on Matthew. His face flushed, suddenly realizing what he had just done in front of a group of strangers. He retracted his arms from the sky where they had been placed all this time, quickly finding his way down the steps and strolling passed them at an incredible speed, not turning to look back.

He always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. _Sigh._ Why did he have to have such horrible luck?

_"Matthew! Over here!" _

A familiar voice caught his attention, and Matthew smiled at the Brit as he waved from the bleachers to him. He waved back with a grin. "Hey Arthur!"

"Hurry up and get over here, lad! The game's nearly over!" Arthur yelled, nearly falling off the stands as he did so. Matthew laughed, picking up his speed and hurrying over to his friend. His bag bounced along his back, and he had to hold his glasses in place to ensure they wouldn't fall off. Getting closer, he was able to notice a few other faces amongst the English man. Gilbert was standing with his arms wide, cheering loud as he jumped along the railing. Frances was beside him, holding Gil in place every time he came close to tumbling. Both of them had their eyes focused on the wide, grassy plain ahead of them.

He slowed his pace as he arrived at the grass, hurrying up the stands to take a seat beside Arthur, who was staring intensely at the field in front of him. Matthew placed down his knapsack and turned to watch the game alongside him. He had missed a large portion of the match, sadly, but the ending was always the best part.

Alfred was standing on his side of the field, arms by his sides and legs spread. His face showed determination that even from such a far distance Matthew could see. Sweat drizzled against his forehead, and the white shirt he was wearing was stained with dirt. Ludwig was much the same, standing opposite on his own ground. His normally slicked back hair was hanging over his face, cream-colored locks covering his eyes. He bore a large grin, breathing heavily through short breathes.

Matthew watched with anticipation, his hands holding tightly to his lap, eyes fixated on the pair below. The small, black-and-white patterned ball was in the center of them, placed between the athletes. A moment of complete silence and stillness took over; everyone held their breath, waiting for any sign of movement. Alfred cracked his hands, a large, devilish smirk crossing his face. The German licked his lips, eyes tightening on the American.

One last breathless second- and they sprinted forward.

_"Kick his ass, Lud!" _

Gilbert's comment was ignored, doing nothing to Alfred's confidence as he dashed towards the ball in the center. Ludwig hurried as well, but Alfred was a second quicker, able to kick it far beyond his reach. The German cursed in response, hurrying after Alfred who was now sprinting ahead of him.

Alfred laughed, ball easing against his feet with perfection, heading towards his target. Ludwig's net was wide open, and Alfred knew it was an easy shot. The German was far behind him; the exhaustion from their game beginning to settle in. He stopped, lining his foot up against the white rubber, taking a step back and preparing for a large shot; it would be his final goal, they were tied one-to-one, and he wanted it look good. He took a few more steps backwards, taking one more glance before sprinting ahead. He would win! _I'll show that German who's boss-_

A white blur flashed in front of him, stopping Alfred in his tracks. It disappeared past him, and he gasped in shock seeing that the ball was gone. He turned with a growl, Ludwig sprinting far from him. No, he couldn't lose!Alfred raced after him, feet digging into the ground beneath him. Ludwig was so far ahead, and Alfred was pushing himself. He could only watch as Ludwig lined up his shot, not taking as much time as Alfred had to get in position, before shooting.

"No!" His feet slipped from underneath him after a misstep, and he was tossed face-first into the dirt. He heard a cheer erupt from the bleachers, the familiar sounds of Gilbert and Francis. He chuckled through the grass, knowing what the outcome had been. He pushed himself up, his arms stained brown, a few red cuts visible underneath.

He had lost.

He smiled as a hand extended itself towards him. Ludwig gave a grin, sweat dripping from the limb and grass stains covering every other square inch. The American took the hand with enthusiasm.

"Good game, Alfred." Ludwig assured, patting his friend on the back with a gentle hit. Alfred nodded, rubbing some of the dust off his arms before he returned the gesture to Ludwig, a little bit harder.

"I'll win next time." He snickered, giving a wink before turning his attention to his brother who was rushing over to him alongside Arthur.

Matthew leapt forward, engulfing Alfred in a tight hug. He felt his brother laugh through his chest as Alfred leaned down and wrapped his arms around him. Ludwig got the same treatment from Gilbert but he wasn't as thrilled about it, trying to push his brother away as he wrapped his arms around tighter.

Matthew pulled away, instantly inspecting his brother for any serious wounds. He had taken a fall, and matches like this between the two were always violent and could have painful outcomes. He lifted up Alfred's arm, noticing a few cuts and bruises. He was ready to speak up, but Alfred ruffled up his hair, distracting him.

"Don't worry about me, Mattie. I'm just fine." Alfred gave his brother a pat, looking towards Arthur as he approached.

The two began talking, and Matthew giggled at their comments. Francis was whispering something to Ludwig who pushed the French man away in an instant, face flushed. Gilbert found it all hilarious.

He decided to head back to the bleachers to grab his bag before they would be heading back. Alfredhad promised to make him dinner when they returned home and Mattie hoped it would be something sweet; pancakes could always be an option, though something savory, or even spicy, would be nice too. His mouth watered at the ideas; he couldn't help it that he had a sweet tooth. Picking up his bag, he noticed the gorgeous view. It wasn't up that high, but you sure could see a lot.

The tops of the trees were visible, brownish hues beginning to spread across the green landscape. He was able to pinpoint a few street buildings he always visited; candy stores, bakeries, all the works. Looking back to the school, he was able to locate the same group of teens, this time standing near the fence. The three boys were there alongside the original girls, Ivan and Katyusha with them as well. Turning to his right, he could- wait.

_Ivan? _

He wasn't mistaken as he took a second glance. Ivan and Kat were with them. Ivan was saying something, and Kat was behind him holding tightly onto her brother's back, and… _shivering? What are they doing?_ The mysterious teens were now speaking to Ivan who looked at them with what appeared to be disgust, face in a scowl and eyebrows pointed downwards.

_What are Kat and Ivan doing with them?_ Matthew felt concern pass through him; Kat didn't look comfortable, and Ivan was definitely not pleased. Was something wrong?

"Mattie? Mattie!"

A hand was placed on his shoulder, its owner being Alfred, who was looking with confusion.

"Huh?"

"You okay? We're about to leave, come on." Alfred grabbed his hand, beginning to tug Matthew gently, waiting for his reply. Matthew's eyes wandered to the Russian once more, catching sight of what appeared to be a growl, Kat squirming back more. He knew something was up; his gut wanted him to run over there, but something was telling him no.

He took a step down, giving his brother's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I-I'm fine. Let's go."

..oO0(|)0Oo..

_"Are you going to stay here again?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"Okay, see you."_

The door closed behind him gently and Ivan was able to hear the sound of Matthew's footsteps as they disappeared down the hall. When the sound finally ceased, and the only notable noise was the faint ticking of the clock, Ivan's head fell to the desk, letting a large sigh escape those aching lips.

He wasn't a fan of his current scenario. Being stuck inside a classroom for an hour each night _sucked_, and being there with someone whom you found considerably annoying didn't help.

He still comprehended the small blonde who had been forced into this whole detention thing with him. He had expected it to be like every other punishment he served before: normal talk with teacher, normal lecture, given the length of the service, serve it, end. However, this one had chosen to be different.

As soon as Alfred had stolen his scarf, and the moment Ivan had been caught, he had thought it would just be the two of them. Alfred Jones and Ivan Braginski, stuck in detention for a month. It had happened before. But not this time. Instead of Alfred, Ivan was stuck with a person he hadn't even known existed a mere two days ago.

Matthew Williams, Alfred's brother. _How have I never known about him? _

Ivan had known Alfred for two years now. That idiotic, arrogant kid never left him alone. Ivan was constantly teased and threatened by the American, and when they weren't arguing they were pummeling one another with their fists. Alfred had never mentioned a brother; in fact, he had always thought Al was an only child- that's what he had been told. The first day he arrived, others had explained to Alfred to him, but a Matthew was never mentioned. _Why? _

He could faintly recall the small blonde. He'd seen him a few times before, not knowing who he was then. Matthew didn't stand out, just another student lost in the wave of teens, but was he really _that _forgettable? Ivan remembered their first conversation where he had mistook Matthew for Alfred. It wasn't entirely his fault; Matthew _had _pretended to be his brother during the discussion.

That was another subject on his mind. Matthew had been disguised as his brother, and more than willingly had been going to a detention for him. Who in the _world_ would choose to do that? Ivan was trying to understand, but he couldn't wrap his head around Matthew, no matter how hard he tried. Everything that kid had done so far was confusing the heck out of him.

He had agreed to taking a month's worth punishment for Al, who, from how he had seen the two interact, seemed to treat Matthew like crap, and he didn't want anything in return for helping out Ivan. The boy couldn't seem to care less about being practically invisible, and he resembled Alfred in every aspect of appearance although their personalities were _completely_ opposite.

Just who _was _Mathew Williams?

A small knock broke Ivan from his thought and he raised his head from the desk to look more proper as the door opened.

"Ivan?"

"Come in, Katyusha, it's just me."

The sunny blonde closed the door slowly, giving her younger brother a bright smile and walking over to greet him eagerly. "Hey! How was detention?"

He hugged his sister back awkwardly when she wrapped her arms around him. He had never been a fan of affection, but he tried to show meaning as he loosened himself from the tight hold. "It was fine, da?" Ivan stood from his seat, brushing of his shirt and nodding down to Kat. "Let's go."

She grinned back, bringing up a hand to ruffle his hair, but stopping when his bangs were pushed back to reveal his forehead. Her pale eyes widened in fear.

_Oh no..._

"Ivan! What happened to your head?!" Katyusha pushed away more of the shaggy locks to get a better view of his skin; a thin red line was placed there, dry blood was still visible along the ends. She moved her hand to feel if it was deep, but Ivan stopped her before she could.

"It's nothing, sister. Just a scratch. Don't get worked up over it." Ivan moved her palm away, placing it back down by her side and taking a step ahead of her. "Let's go before-"

"Ivan." Katyusha grabbed onto his sleeve, turning him to her as worry passed through her face. "Was it _them _again? You can tell me if it-" Ivan twisted, breaking free of her grasp and stepping back.

"_Nyet! _I said it was only a cut! Don't go saying that!" He yelled, voice harsh in its words. He immediately regretted losing his temper, watching as his sister shrunk down in fear and cowered away from him. Ivan frowned, lowering his head and turning towards the door. "Let's go."

Her footsteps followed him slowly, stopping when he reached for the handle. "Ivan…" So timid; how could Ivan treat his family so cruelly? He winced, hating how he could so easily make fear pass through someone so dear to him.

"Da?"

"They're… they're here. Waiting outside."

Ivan froze. Such few words were able to stop him in his tracks. Anger and hatred began to surge through his blood, and he quickly opened the door and moved his hand away from the knob, afraid he would crack it in frustration. Ivan gestured for Katyusha to follow him, already taking a protective stance as she drew near.

"Let's get this over with, then."

..oO0(|)0Oo..

"For the fourth time, you put the meat in_ after_ you start the stove."

"But I always thought you first added the water…?"

"No, Artie, you'll ruin it!"

"Give me back the jug, you bloody git!" There was a crash.

"Now look what you did- the water's everywhere! This is all your-"

"No, it was yours!" There was more commotion, and the sound of something heavy hitting the ground ceased the arguing for a second.

"_Not the flour!_ Artie, you-"

"Stop calling me that! It was ruined when you first started making it, anyway!"

There was a startled gasp from the kitchen, and another pot was dropped.

"Will they ever stop?" Matthew asked Gilbert who was seated beside him on the couch. The Canadian pondered for a second, listening as Alfred and Arthur fought over some form of recipe, their argument showing no sign of ending anytime soon. He sighed, bringing up his soda to take a sip.

"Nope."

Arthur and Alfred didn't cook together often, but when they did they _never _got along. Each little occasion seemed to follow a pattern; Alfred knew what he was doing, but Arthur would always have different plans. That teen thought he knew best, when it reality Arthur couldn't prepare food to save his life. Alfred once had had to put out a fire that the Brit caused, all because he put a can of beans in the oven… while they were still in the container. So why Alfred had agreed to let Arthur help him make their dinner was a mystery… and horrible, horrible choice.

There was a small vibration along Matthew's leg, and he reached down into his pocket to pull out his phone, blinking a bright red light. He flipped open the lid, revealing the identity of the person who had texted him: Katyusha Braginski. He smiled, placing down his coke to properly message her back. The two of them had exchanged numbers during lunch- Kat's idea. She said it would be nice to talk to someone for a change, and Matthew had happily agreed.

"_Ar-tie!" _Another rustle, and there was a sound of what could be silverware hitting against one another. "You're going to spill the mixture!"

"Let go! I am not." A bowl was moved against the table. "You better stop or else it's going to-"

Alfred suddenly tripped, crashing into Arthur and sending his spoon flying across the room. The bowl was over turned, contents spilling to the floor over the edge. Arthur looked up at Alfred with a scowl. "Look! You made a mess and got it everywhere!"

"We can clean it up! It's nothing-"

"Ahem." _Spoke too soon…_

Alfred couldn't hold in his laughter, and Arthur's face flashed with embarrassment. Ludwig shook his head as Gilbert roared with laughter on the couch.

Matthew had gotten up to go to his room, deciding it would be better there than on the couch hearing the two argue. However, he had been caught in the cross fire when Alfred had fallen and the wooden spoon had landed directly on his face, splattering the contents over his cheeks and onto his red sweater. The spoon fell to the floor with a clatter, and Matthew had a look of annoyance clear on his face.

"Sorry about that, bro!" Alfred's apology was hardly heard, as he was grabbing his chest and almost tumbling over in laughter. Arthur cleared his throat, smacking Alfred across the head and handing Matthew a cloth.

"My apologies, lad, didn't mean to get you." Matthew took the rag, wiping off the mess as best he could, giving a nod to Arthur in appreciation and grinning at Alfred as he held his head.

"It's fine," Matthew said. "I'm going to my room. Gilbert, keep an eye on them." The German merely waved a hand, his attention drawn to the TV in front of him. Arthur went back to Alfred, starting the commotion all over again. Matthew sighed, hurrying down the hall to his room.

He threw himself down onto the warm comforter- the sheets had never looked so appealing- and dug his face into soft fabric. The sun shone in through the curtains, reflecting against his face. He rolled over onto his back, sinking into a pale, ocean-blue pillow and taking a relaxed breath.

There was movement against his sweater pocket, and Matthew took his phone out once again, peering to the screen.

_'Don't worry about anything, Matthew! It's going to be fine. Tomorrow we could go for some lunch, if you want! It would be so much fun.' _

He snuggled himself deeper into the sheets, feeling his hair fall against his forehead. Matthew grinned, perhaps he would have a better day tomorrow?

_'Sounds great, Kat. I'll see you then.' _

He could only hope.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

"Katyusha, who are you talking to?" Ivan peered over the couch, noticing the device placed in his sister's hand. It was obvious that she had been speaking with someone, her surprised face raising his suspicion.

"It's just Matthew, brother!" _Oh._

Nodding in approval, Ivan stood back up, continuing his trek towards the door. Matthew did annoy him, but that didn't mean he thought he was a bad kid.

Matthew was kind, dare he say innocent. Ivan hadn't seen anything that was worth worrying over, so talking with his sister wasn't anything horrible. If it had been Alfred, that would be another story. Ivan grabbed his coat off the large hook, pulling it over his shoulders and leaning down to grab a pair of boots.

"You're leaving?" Kat called over, staring from the couch with wonder.

"Da, I have work to do. I'll be back by midnight." Ivan wrapped his scarf tighter around his neck and put on a rough pair of black gloves cut off near the tips. "Don't wait up for me."

"Did you finish the assignments? They're due tomorrow." Katyusha asked from her seat.

"Nyet. I'll do them later." His sister frowned.

"Ivan, school's important..."

"Da, I know."

"Your grades are dropping again. You might fail-"

"_I know." _

Katyusha looked away at the tone, and Ivan swallowed in defeat. He hated to upset her, but there was nothing he could do.

"I promise to do it later, okay? You don't need to worry." Ivan said, trying to sound as sweet and assuring as possible. It didn't come out the greatest, but it seemed good enough for Kat if her calm smile showed anything.

"Promise?" The simple question caused Ivan to grin too. He crossed his chest with his hand, mouthing the words she knew all too well and finishing it off with a small salute.

"I promise." Kat's warm smile lightened Ivan's heart, and for a moment he felt at peace.

He left then, Kat watching every movement closely. Hearing Ivan talk like the old days were things she cherished, held on to. She never knew when they would be taken away.

The room fell quiet, and Kat could hear the faint sound of her brother's motorcycle fading off into the distance.

Oh, how she missed the old times.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

.-~Thank you for reading~-.

I am terribly,_ terribly_ sorry for taking so long to update this story. So much came up, and I was horribly busy. But, at least it's here! And I brought some good news with me! I finally got a beta! _Anon990_ offered to become my own personal beta, and boy daddy, she is amazing. She corrected chapters one and two for me, along with this one, that's why they may now look, so, _tidy_~ Also, I changed the first chapter titles, so don't be alarmed at that!

The next chapters won't take this long, I promise. It was just the stress, and new found confusions of finding a Beta, and also leaving to a place that didn't have internet for a couple days.

Anyways, these updates will hopefully be tidier now, thanks to Mirka. Please, give her lot's of love!

-Radi0

_I'm not going to set a high review goal - because this took so long - so could we try for 28? You blew the last one out of the ball park. Currently there is 24, you guys are so supportive! I know you can easily get 28~ _

**I, sadly, do not own Hetalia. **


	6. Hero

_**Chapter 6: Hero **_

_"Then you take the fourth number and divide it by three, and then continue to multiply the second interval—"_

Matthew scribbled down the familiar formula, head rested against his spare hand as he stared lazily towards the front board. There were few classes he disliked at school (Alfred had gone far enough to call him a nerd all because he generally enjoyed education, unlike his sports-addicted brother) but math never failed to amaze in the many ways it could consume time. Even though he was fairly good at it, and enjoyed learning, the subject was nothing but a chore to him.

The teacher continued the lesson, assigning a few questions from the textbook before returning to his desk to grade their most recent test. Matthew was hoping he'd done well; he had studied for a few days prior to insure a good mark. Alfred had chosen to play the latest horror game, for reasons Matthew would never truly fathom. Al barely ever did homework by choice, and Matthew normally had to end up trying to convince him to do so, resulting almost always in an unsuccessful argument. What Matthew never got was why his brother obsessed over the horror genre, of all things. Al might've built up the self-proclaimed title of 'The Hero' over the years, but show him some spirits or legends about ghosts and he'd be shuddering where he stood, holding a pillow tight to his chest.

Looking up from his paper, Matthew stretched his arms and yawned. He tilted back his head, looking across the faded classroom in hopes of finding something to cure his boredom. He didn't expect there to really be anything, but the class ended in a few minutes anyway.

That familiar pale-silver hair caught his eye, and Matthew turned to get a better view of the Russian. Located in the back corner, silhouette dark against the light of the large clear window, Ivan was seated. As usual, he was all alone, the four spare desks surrounding him empty; an almost inauspicious vibe radiating off his lonesome form. Fitted on him was the same black leather jacket, that pale purple scarf still visible behind dark fabric.

Matthew wondered when he would finally be able to have a regular conversation with Ivan. At this rate, the uneasy tension they had would only continue… _And there's still a month left to go!_

Matthew sighed. _I'm never going to get through this. Alfred owes me big time. _Matthew couldn't hold it completely against Ivan, though; leaving Ivan and Katyusha all alone with the threatening group yesterday wasn't the kindest thing to do either. All he did was stand and watch, before allowing himself to be dragged away. They could have been in danger, or even have gotten hurt! He didn't know how he would have felt if something had actually happened. Guilty, for sure. At least they seemed fine today; he'd seen Kat in the morning with her siblings, smile on her face as usual. And Ivan was the same as always, keeping to himself…

With that thought, Matthew glanced over at the hunched figure. Since seeing him a few times, he felt he was beginning to recognize familiar expressions, compared to being at a complete loss like when he first met him. Matthew thought he perceived a small frown as Ivan looked at the math problems._ I guess I should be looking at them too, _Matthew thought, but instead continued to watch. The lonely Russian sat staring at the problem with fixed determination, evident despite his usual stoicism. He would slowly start, lifting his head from his hand, and then stop jerkily and resume the same position. After a few false starts, he looked ready to flip the desk, but caught himself and just breathed harshly through his nose and flipped the page of the math packet angrily, hands turning to rest against his arms. _He's really working hard,_ Matthew thought, and as if summoned, Ivan looked up.

_Busted._

Matthew quickly looked back down at his own almost completed worksheet, blushing. His nature of always wanting to know more about people got him in trouble sometimes, but still, he was intrigued. Even so, he refrained from watching Ivan for the remainder of the class, instead focusing wholly on his work. It came as a complete surprise, then, when someone actually said his name.

"Matthew? Matthew, where…?"

The so named boy looked up. "Yes?"

"Oh, there you are!" The teacher bent to deposit a graded test on his desk. "Congratulations! You got the highest grade in the class! The highest grade possible, actually." Matthew shrunk down with all the attention. This is not what he wanted.

"Thank you, Mr. Mason." He said softly, but the teacher had already moved on.

Glancing up at the clock, he began to pack his bag, and on cue, the bell rang. Students filed out holding their tests, comparing scores, and Alfred came up from behind to slap him rather suddenly on the back.

"Mattie!"

"Alfred," Matthew whined, rubbing the now sore spot as he glared at his brother. "What was that for?"

"I was just congratulating you, bro! Heard you got one hundred percent on the test." Alfred laughed, wrapping a tight arm around Matthew and pulling him close. "That's amazing— you deserve a sweet or something!"

"It's fine." Matthew grinned, pushing away from his brother's death hold and brushing off his sweater. "What did you get?"

"Only the greatest mark out there!" Alfred pulled out a white sheet from his pant pocket, holding it out in front of Mattie with a proud smirk. "Take a look."

" … It says fifty-six percent."

"_And?_"

"That's not exactly a great grade."

"At least I didn't fail!" Matthew opened his mouth to reply, but stopped. Sure, Alfred didn't get a good mark by _any_ stretch of the imagination, but at least he hadn't failed like a few of their previous quizzes. Perhaps Alfred _was_ trying a little harder, putting forth an effort into his education for once _That would be something to be happy about_.

Or maybe he might have only taken a peek at Matthew's notes and briefly reviewed a couple questions. Out of the two schools of thinking, Matthew hoped it was the better of the two as he returned the small gesture to his brother.

"I guess you have a point, Al. Good job." Alfred began another fit of laughter and smiles, bringing Matthew into a second rough hug as he began to speak of the day's occurrences.

Matthew sighed at the show of affection, allowing Alfred to do as he pleased while he glanced around the class wearily, glad it was practically empty. A few students passed by, gratefully ignoring the scene and filing out the door.

Matthew watched them orderly follow out, ignoring his brother's current topic on fast-food beverages and bringing his arms up in an attempt to push the spirited American away. He took notice of the final teen who walked by, feeling heat rise oddly to his cheeks as Ivan stared back, clutching a crumpled up piece of paper and holding his backpack strap tightly to his chest.

Alfred never saw, and kept his grip on Matthew who was continuing to look at the Russian. Magenta eyes flashed like they had earlier… _Intrigued. _An awkward cough from Ivan ended the stare, and he turned away, quickly walking and exiting the room before any questions could be asked.

Matthew shook his head, face still tinted a strange pink as he took a breath. Alfred was still talking, oblivious, and had taken no notice at his brother's behavior. Mind cleared, Matthew laughed, hoping to get invested back with Alfred - all while trying to ignore the odd thoughts resting at the back of his head.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

"You really don't want to join us, lad?"

"Yeah, Arthur, just this once."

"But Alfred told us that he wanted to take you out because you did so well on the test—"

"It's okay," Matthew said, calmly placing a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "I just have some other things I need to do." The Brit's gaze seemed skeptical, but he made no sign of arguing, only nodding his head in agreement.

"Okay, if that's what you need to do. I'll tell Alfred and the gents not to wait up for you."

"Thanks, Arthur." Matthew grinned. "I'll see you guys around."

"Yeah, have fun." Arthur turned from the stone staircase, waving a quick goodbye to his friend before continuing across the school yard.

Waving to the blonde in return, Matthew watched him leave, then followed him down the steps, but instead taking a right turn instead of a left when arriving at the sidewalk. He looked down at the grey asphalt, pulling his sweater tighter to his small form and beginning his trek to the coffee shop.

It was very rare for Matthew to skip an outing with Alfred, especially a school lunch. His brother always dragged him everywhere he went in the hopes of keeping an eye on little Matthew . They normally went with a few of their other friends, and chose some sort of small diner to eat out at. Occasionally, a park was also an option, or even some sort of seasonal event, if they could find one. Matthew allowed himself to be the follower. He didn't mind it too much and did enjoy spending time with everyone— times when he would be properly noticed were rare, so he craved and savored each moment he got. He never knew when he would be forgotten, or, almost worse, be mistaken for Alfred. It was a depressing way of life, and probably not the healthiest outlook, but it was who he was, and who he had always been. Even if Matthew wanted to change— it wasn't like he truly minded the idea—he didn't know exactly how he would carry it out. Knowing his rather unimpressive streak of luck, it would only backfire and he'd end up hurting his sibling, the only family he had left. And that was a risk Matthew could never take. He'd been Alfred's backup for seventeen years; there was no point in changing now.

Matthew pulled out his phone, pulling up the message Katyusha had sent earlier that day. He had been invited to have lunch with her, but he wasn't exactly to sure where he was supposed to go. From the picture she had sent him, the place looked to be somewhere down the road from their school. It was a small café, almost like a brick façade. He read over the text once again, knowing that Kat was already there waiting for him and picking up his pace. He'd feel horrible if he was late. Matthew couldn't remember the last time someone had _asked_ to hang out with him, so he didn't want to pass up the opportunity. Katyusha was also such a nice person, so it would be horrible to—

"I already told you, I did my best—"

"It wasn't _good enough!_"

Cars were blazing past him at alarming rates, citizens were running fast along the streets, and the sound of local construction beat out everything else, yet for some reason Matthew still managed to hear the conversation. He stopped walking, feeling drawn to the sudden commotion as he turned and stared curiously across the crowded road.

Someone was being pushed up against a wall in the alley of two large buildings. The persecutor had one arm shoved against the victim's neck, and the other was being pulled back… for a punch. Matthew couldn't hear the contact, but he sure saw it. The victim's head was thrown to the left, a fist making solid contact with his face, hard enough to leave the makings of a rough bruise.

Scenes like this weren't so uncommon in the city. Fights happened often; robberies, violence— it was just the way it went. Matthew wished he could do something, but being his size he wouldn't be of much help against either male. He had to hand it to the smaller one who was being attacked, though; he was putting up a pretty good fight, able to get his attacker thrown opposite of him, freeing himself from his hold, and even stepping forward. As Matthew looked closer, he could faintly make out the features of his face through the dimmed light; a few bruises were already beginning to form under his pale skin. Matthew wondered just for how long they had been at it. The teen's hair certainly looked like it had gone ten rounds, shagging over his forehead in bunches of ash-blonde.

_Wait. Ash-blonde? _

_It can't be.. or _Matthew took another look , barely believing the thought had even entered his mind . He saw the leather coat, the shredded blue jeans, the fuchsia, now practically crimson, eyes, and the faded purple scarf. He didn't need another moment to think, he knew instantly who it was.

"_Ivan!_"

Fueled either by protective instinct or flat-out curiosity, Matthew found himself running across the road, dodging the few cars in his path and heading straight toward the Russian on the other side within seconds.

Ivan froze alongside the stranger at the sudden yell, both twisting their heads to gaze. Ivan held his grip tight on his opponent's arms, keeping them in an inseparable grasp, but his hold loosened as he stared in shock, hardly able to comprehend the sight in front of him as blonde curls approached at an alarmingly quick rate.

Matthew jumped to the curb, ignoring the hysterical cries of traffickers behind him, and grabbed his knees as he caught his breath. Looking up, he watched as Ivan separated from the other male - being shoved roughly back against a wall as the stranger dashed the other way, leaping over the small fence located there and disappearing. Matthew decided not to worry about the stranger and instead dedicated his attention to Ivan, hurrying over to him and reaching out a hand.

"Ivan, are you alright? Do I need to call someone for—?"

"_No!" _Ivan shoved away Matthew's hand, glaring in anger. "Just what did you think you were doing?"

"What?" Matthew pulled back his arm, taking a step back as his eyes filled with confusion. "I-I was… You looked like you needed help! S-so I just came over, and—"

"Nyet, I was perfectly fine. I didn't need any help from you." Ivan walked forward, pushing past Matthew and stepping to the sidewalk. "You shouldn't get involved in my problems"

"Your face!" Matthew rushed forward, gasping at the cuts littering the Russian's skin. It looked worse than from across the street. Blood was dripping from his nose, and his cheek was turning a dark purple, already swollen. Matthew couldn't believe what he was seeing. Ivan had taken a serious beating, one that Matthew had only witnessed for a little bit. _Who knows how long Ivan had been trapped like that!_ He needed medical attention! "Ivan, this is bad, we should get you to a hospital—"

"I already said no." He shoved Matthew hard this time, looking on in indifference as the blonde fell back, landing on the ground. "Don't you ever listen? Leave me alone, Matthew."

The Canadian looked up in shock. He only wanted to help! "Please, Ivan, just let me—"

"I'm fine! Don't make me say it again!"

"But the man… he had you against the wall and was hurting you—"

"That has nothing to do with you, _Matvey_!" Matthew looked surprised at the sudden use of Russian in his name, and even Ivan stopped speaking midsentence. Matthew remained on the concrete, not bothering to get up and not knowing what to say in reply.

It took a few awkward seconds for Ivan to turn around, hiding his face beneath purple cotton and hurrying down the street away from Matthew, not saying another word. The small blonde sat up, dusting off his shoulders and getting to his feet. The Russian had already vanished amongst the crowd, nowhere to be seen, and Matthew couldn't help but frown at the sight.

Pulling his sweater closer to his chest and rubbing a quick hand through his curls, Matthew continued down the sidewalk towards where he knew Kat was waiting, feeling the appetite he had earlier strangely absent from his stomach.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

It was a few extra minutes, several wrong turns, and a couple misread signs before Matthew finally managed to locate the shop.

_I have to hand it to Katyusha,_ he thought to himself. _She knows how to choose her cafés._

Matthew was rather impressed with the whole setup and the building's amazing blend of colors. He had seen a photo earlier, but the real beauty of the scene couldn't be viewed through a device, and he couldn't help but bask in the unexpected surprise. The building was classic red brick, rather elegant and simple, if he were to elaborate, with green vines draped along the textures of the wall. A collaboration of flowers were scattered across the front, cluttered in the small patches of grass along the sidewalk. Matthew wanted to laugh at just how vintage it all looked. An old antique sign solidified the theme; there was even an old black fence going around the steps. All in all, it was perfect sight.

The sound of a loud car horn broke his trance, and he hurried up the pale concrete to pull open the door. The small ring of a bell was heard overhead as he entered, and he began to peer around in hopes of locating Kat. Matthew slowly walked around the many tables, apologizing to a few other customers when he accidently bumped into them. Only when he arrived at the other end of the café did he managed to see her, face illuminated softly by the light of the window and nose buried inside a book.

"Katyusha!" She looked up, rosy cheeks instantly lifting as she smiled at her friend.

"Matthew!" Placing down her novel, she patted the cushion seat next to her. "Here, come join me!"

Matthew nodded, taking a spot beside his friend and grinning in embarrassment. "Sorry for taking so long to get here. I'm not the best at directions."

"It's fine! I apologize for my poor means of communication. Next time I'll be sure to tell you earlier." Katyusha reached for a coffee cup placed on the table, bringing it close to her face and gesturing towards a spare set there."I didn't know what kind you liked, but I guessed. I hope it's alright."

Matthew grabbed his own, feeling the heat from the liquid warming the glass edges. Bringing it up to his lips, he was glad to relish in the taste of something sweet. It wasn't maple, he realized sadly, but the flavor was still worth savoring, and he enjoyed the tiny sip. "It's fine, Kat, thanks."

"So were you able to find your way here alright? You obviously had some trouble, but I'm still a little curious." Kat took a sip of her own mug as she spoke, raising an eyebrow to Matthew.

"I managed. There were a few bad turns, and a couple intrusions, but I got here. I also took a little extra time after I ran into Ivan, that distracted me for a…" Matthew paused. _Should I not have said that?_

"_Ivan?_" Katyusha placed down her cup. "What happened with him?"

Matthew noted she used the word 'with' and not 'to', but he had to conclude he would have assumed the same. "Well," He sighed. "On my way here, I saw him stuck in an alleyway being attacked by someone. I ran over to him, and the attacker fled instantly." Matthew's voice quieted. "I went to help him because he looked hurt, but…"

"Yeah?" Katyusha was leaning close, and Matthew caught sight of the worry in her eyes.

"H-he wouldn't let me help him. He just yelled and left." He couldn't look directly to Kat; he felt like he had hurt her. He might've been able to stop Ivan if he had tried hard enough, but he allowed himself to leave. "He was hurt, and I don't know where he went."

"Matthew." A calm hand was placed atop Matthew's head, turning him to face Katyusha. "Don't stress yourself out over this, okay? I'm sure Ivan is fine."

"B-but… there was blood. And h-he was—"

"Matthew. Ivan's strong, okay?" Kat gave a reassuring smile. "I know you may think something bad might have happened, but don't worry about him. Trust me, alright?"

Matthew was slightly confused, but he decided to go along with it. He nodded in acceptance. Katyusha grinned, fluffing his curls and leaning back to her seat, bringing up her coffee to take a drink.

"Good. Now, did you notice anything about the guy with Ivan?"

Matthew shook his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't. He just seemed like any other thug, I guess."

"Oh." Katyusha frowned in disappointment. "That's a shame."

"Why? Were you expecting someone specific?"

"Not exactly, though some groups are more violent than others. I was just wondering."

Kat was right. Matthew had had a conversation earlier with her about the many gangs of the city and was surprised to see that she knew quite a bit about them herself, able to name a couple and even pin-point their specific behaviors and acts. They went on about how it had worsened in some places, and how they each acted. Afterwards, Matthew thought even less of the dreaded street-rats.

"They're pretty bad, aren't they, Katyusha?"

"Yeah," Kat sighed through a hidden frown. "They really are."

For a full minute, neither of them said a word. Katyusha seemed to be too involved in a wonder of her own to bother, and Matthew was busy thinking about what Kat had said. She may have made everything seem alright, but Matthew was still nervous. Ivan had been injured, it was that simple. He couldn't care less that it was none of his business, or that he had no real reason to be so concerned, Matthew still wanted to know. What if he was out there now, being pummeled once again with there was no one there to help him—

"On a better note," Matthew nearly dropped his coffee as Kat sat up suddenly, hands clapping together in a joyful fashion. "How are your classes going? I heard you got one hundred percent on a test!"

"H-how did you know that?" He'd barely got the mark back; heck, he'd known himself for a little under an hour!_ How could she find out?_

"Hehe— I have my ways!" Matthew decided to just let it slide. "But it's true, right?"

"Y-yeah... I got lucky, I guess."

"Oh, don't be silly! You're such a smart cookie; I know you deserve that grade."

"T-thanks, Kat... you're flattering me..." His cheeks tinted pink, and his lips quivered in a nervous smile.

"I wish I could say the same for Ivan. He hasn't had the greatest luck with school lately…"

"Ivan?" That caught his attention. "Does he struggle?"

"Sadly, yes... he can't keep up very well, and things don't tend to stick very well for him."

"Oh." Matthew frowned through puckered lips. "That's a shame." He remembered when he had seen Ivan in math class. Matthew had caught him in the midst of a math problem, and had thought Ivan seemed to be having trouble, but he knew better than to say anything. Now, hearing Katyusha, he knew his insight had been correct. Of course, that wasn't new information. It wasn't like there was anything he could do for the Russian…

_Or maybe_…

"Yes, it sadly is." Kat took another drink, looking out the window to the crowded streets. "I hope he gets better soon."

"M-me too." Matthew held his mug in both hands, blonde locks hiding his face. Eyes lowered in wonder, he paused in midst of thought.

Perhaps his idea was crazy enough to work.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

"So ooo … what did you get on the test?"

"Mmm?"

"What was your mark on the math test?"

"Why do you care?"

Matthew was seated, once again, in the detention room. Ivan was in the same location as before, in the same pose with his feet atop the desk, and, like before, not paying too much attention to the blonde. Matthew hadn't made an attempt at conversation the entire time, and now there were only a couple minutes remaining of their punishment. Matthew had wanted to say something, but he had been too occupied thinking over everything - math, Katyusha… and Ivan. He had a plan in mind, and he was wondering if it could be carried out.

"Well, I really _don't_... I'm just wondering. That's all." Ivan shrugged from his seat, leaning back against his chair.

"I failed it." Matthew felt saddened by just how casual Ivan sounded with such depressing news.

"I-I'm sorry about that." He tried to show he was truly sincere in his voice, but at Ivan's reply, he knew the Russian hadn't really noticed.

"Don't be. It's perfectly normal."

At the ring of an alarm, signaling the end of the detention, Ivan stood from his seat and began walking towards the door. Matthew sat up quickly, startled that Ivan for once was leaving at the correct time, unlike all their previous detentions. He took a deep breath, knowing this would be the only chance he got. Ivan walked past him, not taking any notice and continuing on. With a sudden rush of determination and courage, Matthew spoke out.

"I-Ivan?"

"What." He didn't stop to look at Matthew as he continued to the door, but it was good enough for the blonde.

"W-well, I was wondering… you failed that test so," he paused, "maybe I could help you with your math?" Matthew didn't know if it was the greatest plan, or if he was being stupid, but he wanted to try and help Ivan. He didn't have a clue where the sudden idea came from or how it started, but he couldn't get it out of his head. He felt bad for Ivan, for some odd reason, and he couldn't just let him struggle, no matter how arrogant and rude he was.

"No."

It was a simple response, and the most expected reply, yet Matthew still felt shocked at hearing it. Did Ivan not see? He was failing; did that mean nothing to him? Matthew knew he should agree and let Ivan go, but he just couldn't.

"B-But… Ivan. Couldn't you just try? It'd help you get better grades."

No reply. Ivan simply continued forward, stopping in front of the door to reach for the handle without the least change of mood. Matthew wasn't giving up yet though. He took a few steps, slowly walking towards the Russian.

"Don't you want to get a good grade? If you got a better mark, I'm sure Katyusha would be much happier with—" Ivan stopped.

"_Excuse _me?"

"Huh?" Matthew hadn't even realized what he said. "Ivan, what—"

In a quick twist, Ivan was facing Matthew who was already retracing the steps he had taken. "What did you say about my sister?"

"K-Katyusha? I only said it would make her smile more, that was it—" Matthew began to back away as Ivan neared, feeling suddenly very , very vulnerable.

"How dare you say anything about my sisters." Ivan approached him, forcing the Canadian's back up against the wall.

"Ivan, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be rude! I only wanted—"

"Shut up!" Two large hands found their way to Matthew's shirt collar, lifting up the teen in one swift motion and slamming him against the hard wall. Matthew reached for his shirt, unable to free the tight hold as he shuddered in fear.

"I-Ivan, please! I only—"

"You don't know _anything_, Matvey." Ivan's face was uncomfortably close to Matthew's, and he could feel the Russian's breath against his skin. He wondered why he even believed his plan had hope in the first place. _Why am I even trying…_

"_Ivan! _What in god's name do you think you're doing?!"

Katyusha's panicked yell filled the room, and Matthew could woozily make out her figure as she rushed towards them. He was dropped to the ground and Ivan took a step back, his anger-filled eyes never leaving Matthew. Katyusha pushed past her brother, lightly grabbing Matthew's arms and looking him over.

"Matthew, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. I'm fine." Katyusha smiled at him, then directed her attention to the Russian behind her.

"Just what were you doing, brother? Why would you do that to Matthew?" Ivan gritted his teeth all while continuing to look at the small blonde. He turned his back, ignoring his sister's frantic calls, and walked back to the door.

"Ivan, where do you think you're going? You haven't even apologized to him yet!"

"I'll meet you at home, Katyusha." Ivan opened the door, not taking a chance to look back to them as he quickly exited, the loud slam of wood echoing against the quiet walls.

"Kat... I'm sorry for making him mad." Matthew leaned back, covering his face with his hands. "I shouldn't have provoked him…"

"_You _aren't the one who needs to apologize." Katyusha held his arm, giving an encouraging grin. "Ivan sometimes loses his temper over silly matters. I'm sorry about that." Matthew allowed her to return him back to his desk, accepting his backpack as she handed it to him. "I'm going to have to go have a serious talk with him. Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah, Alfred will be coming to get me in a few minutes."

"Okay. Again, I'm so sorry for Ivan." Katyusha gave Matthew a quick hug. "I'll talk to you over the weekend, if you'd like." Matthew smiled faintly.

"I'd like that a lot, actually."

They both parted ways, and Matthew sat quietly down on the ground, listening to the weak sound of the clock to pass the time.

He hadn't gotten anything new accomplished that day. Ivan and he were the same, probably worse off now. He couldn't help him, no matter how hard he had tried.

Matthew gave an endless sigh and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes and trying to think of any pleasant thought he could.

"When will I be able to do something right for once?"

..oO0(|)0Oo..

.-~Thank you for reading~-.

I am so, so, so, _so, _sorry about the wait for this chapter. I was extremely busy and had barely any time to work on this; my Beta was much the same. But, it's finally completed, and I think it turned out pretty good this time around. _(Thanks to my awesome Beta of course, you're the best Mirka.)_ And, in case you're concerned, chapter seven is nearly completed and hopefully shall be out in the next couple of days.

We've finally arrived at some plot, about time. Oh Ivan, why must you be so mean to little ol' Matthew? He's just concerned and looking out for you. Well, until the next update, things are going to get a little more interesting.

**Could we try for 36 reviews? I just really want to know your guy's thoughts on this one! I know we can reach it!**

_-Radi0 _

**I, very sadly, do not own Hetalia **


	7. Invited

_**Chapter 7: Invited**_

"No! This _can't_ be happening!"

"You better believe it, bro! Get ready to fess up!"

"Never! I'm- Alfred, get _off _me!"

"Hahaha, you know the truth already," with a rough shove the American was on the floor, however the action failed to stop his enthusiasm. "Just take a look."

Matthew ignored the hysterical laughter, rising to his feet in determination and hope. "It's not going to happen Al.." He warned, fists tightened to his sides.

"Don't be too sure, Mattie." Alfred watched from the ground, leaning up to stare with as much concentration as his brother. "There! _Oh, yeah!" _

"Shut it, Alf!" Matthew's eyes grew wide, staring in disbelief at the sight in front of him. "_No_..no, no, _wait_!"

The player toppled over, hitting the ice hard as his opponent skated past - straight to the goal. Matthew grabbed his head in frustration and shock - _how could this happen!? _Alfred shot up on his knees, arms raised and bent in excitement.

"Go, _go!_"

The blue-jersey athlete hurried forward, skating at record breaking speed as he pulled back his stick to take a shot. Matthew dropped down, knowing it was all over even before he heard the alarm ring and Alfred jumped to his feet beside him.

"Yes, _victory!" _The American broke into a dance, turning in circles while his brother hit the ground in rage. Matthew looked back up to the T.V, hearing the fellow screams of shame and protest through the static.

"Foul!" He yelled. "That was _so _a foul!"

"What!?" Alfred called, halting his celebration to face his sibling. "You're just upset that _your_ team lost!"

"_ Merde_!" A sudden curse. "It _was _a _faute_!"

As is a fire had been sparked, Al froze in his spot. "There's no reasons to curse over this, bro-"

"_ Bâtard_," Matthew rose to his feet, "Of course there is!"

"It's _just _a game."

The Canadian stopped in his trek towards his brother; blinking in realization and thought. Lowering his arms and ducking away, he blushed in embarrassment - knowing his younger counterpart was right. Matthew always over-reacted when it came to sports; hockey was defiantly not an exception. Taking a moment to center himself, he breathed; amethyst eyes shining against the dim light. He gripped his sweater sleeve awkwardly and hid beneath blonde curls, "S-sorry.."

"Don't worry," Alfred's face lit with a grin. "You had good reasoning."

Matthew nodded, still slightly ashamed and worried. He wasn't one to swear or lose his temper often, but during the rare events they happened, he couldn't always control himself. All the worst cases had involved some sort of game, most commonly his preferred Canadian favorite. He always got so invested while watching, whether it be from bleachers or just looking through a screen; he found he never could turn away. The adrenaline, the thrill, the exhilaration - it was simple _perfection_. Matthew would find himself cheering and shouting, calling penalties as if he was a fully payed referee with years of experience. Occasionally, he could get a little _too _invested and would end up cursing in his well known tongue. It was never English, but rather French - the language that had taken him over half his childhood to perfect and master. It was an odd quirk, in terms of bad-mouthing, but it seemed like just an everyday pattern at this point in his life, and far from the oddest.

"_However_," Alfred reached down to the small coffee-table, bringing up a soda and drinking it rather smugly, "one known fact still stands."

"What?" Matthew lightened the grip on his own red hoodie, eyebrows raising in question.

"My team," a devilish smirk broke out across those pale lips, ocean-blue orbs flashing with a hint of amusement, "totally kicked your _ass_."

Within a second Matthew ran, forgetting his dignity and shame as he reached for his brother, throwing out random insults as they came. "They did not- y-you.. _hamburger-breather_!" Some weren't of the greatest threat though...

Alfred chuckled in joy, tipping up his spare arm to take another sip of his drink while using the other to hold the small blonde an arm's length away, hand rested against his head. "Nice one there, Mattie! Don't deny the inevitable!" Matthew flailed his arms, unable to get the American from the hold he was in.

"I'm not denying anything," However, that didn't mean he would stop trying. "Your team cheated Al!"

"Hmm? I think someone's being a poor-sport~."

"I am _not_!"

"Yes you are." Alfred's simple tease was turning annoying, and Matthew puffed out his lips in a pout.

"Oh yeah! Well you're the one-" A sudden vibration ran through the Canadian's pocket, a small innocent jingle beginning to play out. "Hold that thought," he stepped away from his sibling, reaching down to his phone. "We'll finish this.. _discussion _later."

"Someone's avoiding the truth." Matthew rolled his eyes, ignoring Al as the American slumped back to the couch, watching in curiosity. He brought up the red-device, not bothering to check for caller I.D as he placed it against his ear.

"Hello?"

"Matthew!" A blessed smile broke out across his cream-colored face at the voice; mood suddenly lifted in thankfulness.

"Katyusha! It's nice to hear from you."

"Same here, I hope your weekend is going fine thus far." The blonde glanced to his brother, who was still modelling that rather arrogant smirk.

"Yeah, it's been.. _nice._"

"That's grand Matt! Now, I was just wondering if I could ask for a favor from you.."

"A favor?" _What could she need?_

"Yes," her tone grew quiet and timid through the line. "It may be rather sudden and unexpected and you may not agree to it-"

"Just tell me Kat, I'm sure it's fine." He was positive that the task couldn't be anything of much difficultly, Katyusha was an easy-to-please person.

"Okay here it goes," Kat took a deep breath; finishing her sentence worriedly. "I-I.. n-need you to.. help Ivan."

Apparently, he had been dead-wrong.

"C-come again?" Matthew's throat went dry, trying to comprehend what had been asked of him. She wasn't serious, right?

"I-Ivan can't do his school work, and I can't do anything to help him; I don't understand the work myself. Y-you're the next best option."

_Okay.._ so she was being serious, _obviously_ no problem there. The question was so sudden, and Matthew couldn't help but wonder if perhaps, Katyusha had completely forgotten about his encounter with Ivan the previous day. The Russian had held him up by his shirt against a wall - not to mention the alleyway incident; he was sure Ivan wouldn't want to be anywhere near the blonde, let alone get assistance from him.

"I-I know it's very urgent but," Kat started again."You're in a good chunk of his classes, and I _know _you get good grades; you're a smart kid."

Matthew couldn't stop the red that formed against his cheeks at the compliments - he never heard them, and it felt nice to hear a few every once and awhile. He reviewed his friend's words, knowing she had many good points. They all were true, and the Canadian _had _helped others in the past with school, however, this was simply just a different matter. It wasn't like Matthew entirely minded, in fact, he was thinking it would be a good idea - heck, it's what he had tried doing yesterday. _But.. Ivan. _The Russian was certainly not fond of him, bluntly obvious from the simple expressions he wore while around his presence, not including the gruff voice he always had during their few conversations. He wouldn't agree to do this, and that's what the blonde was worried about. Matthew thought it was a good plan, but Ivan would never accept.

"Kat, I-I want to help; I think it's a really great idea.. but.. will Ivan-"

"Don't worry about my brother, Matt. I know he's been rather _rude_ to you, but I promise, when worse comes to worse, he knows what needs to be done." He was defiantly still skeptical and nervous, _oh yes_, he was - but he decided he'd have to trust his new friend with this one and just hope she was right.

"O-okay," Matthew took a deep sigh. "I-I'll come help him out."

"Oh, Matthew! Thank you so much!" Katyusha brightened after the single sentence, and the blonde was sure she was smiling on her side. "I don't know how I'll repay you!"

"I-It's fine Kat, it really is." He chuckled softly, hoping he had chosen the right decision. "Now, do you want me to _go_ to your house...?"

"Why yes, that would be the plan."

Matthew wondered just exactly where the Braginski's lived - at that moment re-calling the fact that he had_ no_ clue. He'd heard so many rumors, yet, never once could he remember a house being mentioned, not once in the two years he had known of the Russian's existence. _Do they live somewhere in the city?, _he thought, _or perhaps out in the country? _He tried imagining some-sort of setting, but nothing in particular came to mind. He was completely stumped. "Okay, I can drive out to your house then.. um.. where do you live?"

"Oh!" She laughed. "That may be a useful piece of information. We live outside the city limits, a little out in the country-side. My address is 1991 Hilroy Road; our home is the farthest on the right, you _can't _miss it."

Nodding as she spoke, he wrote down the info on a spare notepad he had grabbed from the table - Alfred resting his head against a hand in boredom, still seated on the couch as he watched his brother with rapt attention. "Got it, when would you like me to head out?"

"As soon as you can Matthew, that be great."

"Okay, I'll be there in.." He glanced to the clock, "in around twenty minutes." It was a rough estimate, all resting on if he could actually _find _the place; he'd never heard of the road or location before.

"Sounds good, I'll insure everything's ready! Until then~."

"Yeah, I'll see you."

"Bye!"

The nerve-racking phone call finally ended, and the Canadian breathed a much needed sigh of relief and worry as he dove the device back into his jean pocket.

"Who was that?" Alfred turned up, eyebrows lifted to show he was in question.

"Just Katyusha."

"What she need?"

"My help is all," Matthew quickly left the room to retrieve his fall jacket hanging from the door hook, returning to continue his explanation. "She needs me to help her with some task."

"Are you going to meet with her or something?"

"A-actually.. I-I'm going to her house-"

"_What?!_" The American got to his feet, deserting his soda-can to lay on the tattered fabric, and continuing to look with shock. "You're going to that _jerk's _home!"

Matthew should have guessed the outrage would happen at the sole-mention of his brother's one and only true enemy, and he regretted telling him the truth immediately after he said it. "I-I.. she really wants my assistance and-"

"For what purpose exactly?"

"She wants me to tutor her with some school work, that's it." A small white-lie wouldn't hurt, now would it? If he dare spoke of the real reason, Alfred would defiantly never let him leave from the complex, he was sure.

"I don't really feel comfortable with you going there, Mattie. Especially with that.. _person_ most likely being with you." Al crossed his arms rather childishly; reminding Matthew of a young kid being denied of his word. "What if he tries something? It's not safe."

"He's not going to do anything, I insure you."

"But how do you know-"

"Katyusha, she wouldn't let him. I know her and she'd never allow it." He just wanted to leave and find the house, not stand here arguing with his sibling for who knows how long. He felt comforted that his brother was so concerned for him, but he had to let Matthew make his own decisions at times - he needed to trust him.

"T-that's probably true," Alfred lowered his gaze - most likely contemplating in his mind on the choice he would make. Looking back, he returned a softened look; sky-blue eyes waiting in question. "A-are you sure.. you want to go?"

"Yes, I am." Walking over to Al, he enveloped him in a rather tight hug; smiling gently at the surprised gasp it resulted in. Matthew pulled away, letting an arm stay on his brother's shoulder. "If things do head south, I'll come straight home, okay?"

"Promise?" The single, one-word response was one of everyday occurrence, and perhaps even used to much in one's everyday life, but that couldn't stop the weak grin that appeared on the Canadian's face at hearing it spoken - already bringing up a hand to do the familiar routine that followed.

"I promise." With this, Alfred stepped away and nodded in approval; pulling out a set of keys from his pocket that Matthew hadn't even known about. Said blonde took them with grace and a smirk, saluting with a quick twist of the wrist before setting off to the door.

"I'll call to check on you in a bit, got it!" Al yelled from the living room, holding his hands over his mouth to make the demand louder. He got a _'hmmm'_ in response, knowing Mattie was already through the door as he heard the wood slam shut, and the sound of running-shoes vanished down the hallway.

He slumped back to the couch, reaching for his nearly finished soda can and turning back on the T.V to resume watching the sports channel; his mauve-eyed, blonde-haired, older brother still in his thoughts.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

"How far away is this place? _Good grief_.." Matthew sighed in pure annoyance, holding up his phone to re-read the location as he continued down the isolated road. "I better be going the right way.."

He had been driving for over twenty-five minutes and had left the noisy, smoke-filled streets of the city long ago - now upon the quiet, calm and peaceful roads of the country side. He was positive he had taken the wrong turn at a few locations, and had even turned back and tried another path in hopes he was guessing right. He'd ended up texting Katyusha for proper directions after going around absent-minded for ten minutes and now was praying he _finally_ was heading the correct way. Normally, he probably would have looked for any signs of fellow neighbour hoods, street names, or anything other of the sort to help find their home, but there was nothing like that where he was: only a few forests here and there, the occasional river seen through the corner of his eye, and the one, single-direction road he was following. There was.. _nothing. _

He hadn't expected the Braginski's would live so far away, so _secluded_ from everyone else around them - of course, he never really had thought about the subject before: _why would he have a reason to care about them?, _but that didn't fail to stop the question being present in his head. Perhaps, being so alone and distant was fitting for the family; two out of three of the children were just like that, maybe it was only justified. Matthew didn't know quite what to think.

He continued forward, staring blankly to the lead-out path ahead of him as he looked for any sign of civilization. He flicked on the radio in hopes of reducing his boredom, switching it to a random news station before properly leaning back in his seat. It was nothing too interesting - store ads, new music singles, the next sports game; only when Matthew heard the announcer speak of _'shocking' _updates did he turn up the volume, listening in with rapt curiosity.

"Police offers have reported yet another break-in; making this one the second to happen in the past week. The robbery happened yesterday in the early morning, however the officials weren't told of the event till last night. The local jewellery store was nearly destroyed, and a large sum of merchandise was stolen - how much it was worth has not been calculated yet, but reporters are telling us it was a decent amount..."

The revelation wasn't anything new - robberies happened all the time - but Matthew still found himself keeping quiet, wanting to hear the report spoken to the end; even if he had heard the same scenario hundreds of times before.

"There have been few witnesses who have reported sighting the suspects that night, but we have gotten statements telling us there were two people believed to have been present. Both are said to be males, tall in height, and boasting impressive stances; no other info has been given. Evidence is being collected as we speak, and so far the only found clue is a black leather glove, torn along the finger tips-"

"_Oh_, _Canada!_ Our home and native land! True patriot love, in all thy son's command!"

Matthew nearly jumped out of the car seat as his phone suddenly ran out (it's ringer must have been accidentally set to blast) and he quickly turned off the station with a twist of his hand as he reached for the red-device, having to briefly search through his pocket before coming across it. Setting it to speaker-phone, he held it out in front of the steering wheel, answering softly.

"Hello?"

"Matthew!" The sweet voice of Katyusha spoke through the line, "I know you're not very sure yourself, but are you almost here yet?"

"I'm afraid to say that I have no honest clue.." Matthew shook his head with a sigh and a slight chuckle. "I've never been good with locating things I'm afraid."

"I'm sorry that this is the only real way for me to talk with you! Next time, I'll give you a proper set of directions for our house!"

The Canadian stiffened. _Next time?_ There was going to _be _a next time? The single fact he was going there in the first place was shocking enough, but being asked _again? _He had no problem with seeing Katyusha, his friend never failed to bring a grin to his face, he also didn't mind being near Ivan - helping him in his time of need. But, he was still positive the Russian male knew nothing of the sudden arrangement, and the thought of Ivan yelling at him more only brought a frown to his face.

"It's fine, Kat, don't worry about it too much. I'm sure I can find the right way soon," Matthew pulled up to a fork in the road, turning up to properly look. "Actually, I just came to some signs-"

"Oh! Does one of them say _Hilroy Road?_" Leaning closer, the blonde was able to make out the faded-white letters across the cardboard wood; noticing one in particular had the same sentence.

"Yep, one says it."

"That's it!" Katyusha cheered. "Turn right down that road, and continue on. Our house is just at the end!"

"Okay, okay; I'm going." Matthew giggled at his friend's actions, wondering if perhaps she was dancing in joy at him finally finding the correct location. He twisted the wheel quickly, turning down the dirt road and heading past another row of trees. It wasn't much different from all the past sights, but he had a hint of excitement rush through his blood - still in question over what the building would be like.

"Oh, I almost forgot! You'll have to wait at the gate, I'll need James to open it for you and then buzz you in!"

"Got it, I'll-" _Wait.. _did she just say _buzz _in? Matthew could only think of an apartment, but there certainly couldn't be anything like that in a place like this. _What was she referring-_ there was also a gate mentioned, and someone named James. _Who the heck was that!? _"K-Kat.. what do you mean by _buzz_?"

"Huh? Well, we have a fence wrapped around the property, at the front of it is this huge gate. We need to make sure we know who the people are, so James checks them for us."

"W-who's James?"

"Our gatekeeper!" Katyusha spoke the sentence so casual, as if she thought herself there was nothing odd about it in the slightest.

"G-gatekeeper..?" The blonde gaped. They had a _gatekeeper!? _Just what was this place! "W-why do you have a gatekeeper?"

"I just explained, Matthew! I'll tell you more after, I see you coming in on the monitor; meet you at the front!"

"_M-monitor?!_ Kat, wait-" The phone ran dead, and the Canadian pulled it away from his ear at a slow, confused pace. Just, _what _did this family live in? A gatekeeper, fence, a _security-system_(it only made sense if they had an apparent monitor); he hadn't been expecting anything in particular, but he certainly didn't think the Braginski's would be so protected, along with owning such _technology_. Matthew blinked when a fence came into view; it's height far over his own and stretching out far into the distance, beyond his vision's limits. Pulling close, he saw a large gate placed in the center of it all, an old, vintage style design framing it's edges. He'd never seen such a breath-taking scene; the rows of flowers and vegetation only adding onto it.

Matthew had to stop when he arrived beside a small building, located next to the gate entrance. A grey-haired, scrawny, elderly man appeared by his window, tapping the glass with his hand, asking for it to be rolled down. The blonde obeyed the request with a gulp, shaking in his seat as the window was opened and the male peered inside, glancing around the interior.

"You're Matthew, correct?" He asked, not stopping his rather in-depth search of the vehicle to properly look to the Canadian.

"Y-yes, I am." Matthew's grip tightened on the steering wheel; he wasn't frightened, just nervous - and a little anxious. Having his car thoroughly examined by a stranger hadn't been something he'd planned for; he hadn't planned _any _of this.

After a few more seconds of awkward silence, the man backed away, nodding silently before returning to the small booth. He must have pressed some sort of button, for the gate suddenly opened outwards, and Matthew was given a signal to go inside. Not wishing to anger him, the Canadian stepped on the pedal, following his direction and entering the mysterious property.

For a couple minutes, all he did was drive - no visuals able to be seen besides the endless rolling hills and a night-black fence - only reminding him of the encasement he had drove right on in to. Matthew was getting suspicious. The whole thing seemed so _unnatural; _had he made the right choice on coming? Perhaps he was only leading himself into trouble. The Braginski's _were _an unknown bunch; nobody knew much about them, or their history. The blonde shook, a million different ideas raced through his head about the family. What if the rumors were true? What if his brother had been right, and he was the stupid one for disobeying? What if Ivan murdered him the moment he set foot through that front door?! _I shouldn't have come here! _He had made a horrid mistake, and now was going to pay the consequences for his- _whoa. _

Matthew's mid-mind argument simply stopped.

Bright-violet eyes stared up in disbelief and awe, attempting to take in all they were seeing in one simple go. He couldn't believe the sight - all previous questions leaving his head in a matter of moments - becoming more attentive and focused as the building grew nearer.

For there, peaking from behind trees and hills, standing tall in height and incredibly _huge_, was a mansion_. _One of the biggest Matthew had ever seen.

It was made from a multitude of different colored brick; light-creams, red-browns, classic amber, all creating a gorgeous mix that blended together perfectly. An almost classical pattern was layered atop the roof - that itself was amazing, so many little details able to be noted even from such a distance away. Plants were everywhere. Not just innocent flowers or trees, but even gentle vines and bushes; packed up against one another in sync, matching and finishing off the pure _elegance_ of it all. Matthew couldn't think it true. It just.. _could not_ be the truth. Such grace and beauty was _their _home!? How could they even afford such a thing! Yet, as he allowed his eyes to properly asses all he was viewing, he caught a familiar figure standing on the white-tiled stairs, waving her hands frantically towards him. _Katyusha... _He had so many questions, so many things he wished to ask. Why had she never said anything before to him? How could they live in such an establishment? _I want some answers! This just isn't addi-_

"_Hey, _watch it!"

At an in-raged yell, Matthew frantically stopped his car in its tracks, looking up from the seat and seeing a woman suddenly at his windshield. "You need to learn to watch where you're going," she held up what appeared to be a shovel in her rage, "You almost ran me over!"

Tilting his head towards the left window, the blonde flushed in embarrassment, realizing that he was currently parked upon a patch of trilliums - _completely _off the designated path. Knowing his mistake, he swallowed nervously, "I-I'm so sorry! I-I.. got distracted, I-I didn't mean any h-harm!"

"You better have not.." She shook her head, opening her mouth as to retort something back, but being interrupted as another voice broke out.

"Matthew! Are you okay?" Katyusha ran over, halting beside the pair and glancing back and forth in concern. "Is everything fine? No broken bones or sprained knees?"

"I-I'm.. alright. Just a little shaken.."

"It's fine, Mrs. Braginski." The woman placed a soothing hand on her shoulder, smiling with calmness and grace - as one would to a frightened animal. "He just got a little confused, that's all. No need to panic."

_Mrs. Braginski..? _Why had she addressed her so.. _highly? _Kat took a breath, relieving herself of any distress. "Thanks, Jennifer." She directed her attention back to the Canadian, skipping over to his side and opening up the door. "Matthew! It's great to see you again! Now, let's go inside, shall we?"

"W-what about the car?"

"I'll get Nathan to drive it around after," she reached for his arm with a grin. "Come on! I have so much to show you!"

"Nathan? Who's tha-" A firm tug and he was pulled from the vehicle, already being led across the concrete.

"I'll explain later!"

He sighed - not annoyed or uncomfortable, but still confused and curious. Things were getting stranger, not clearer(like he so desperately wanted). He decided to just follow his friend and hopefully, his questions would be answered as the time went on.

"I'm so glad you finally made it!" Katyusha brought Matthew to the front door, easing the oak-wood open and grabbing his wrist gently. "I hope you didn't have too much trouble finding the place, I know it's pretty out there."

"It wasn't that difficult to..." His voice was lost as they entered the household, no words able to escape from the sheer prospect in front of him. "_Holy maple_."

The inside was even more impressive then the outside.

Bright hues cascaded across the walls in matching textures and arrangements - there were different ones for each theme, and most likely each room. He caught sight of a large fireplace - currently emitting an orange aura - with dim-shaded sofas on either side and a striking painting hanging from above the mantle. Pristine furniture decorated the home, filling in each and every vacant space with something unique and fitting. Leaning up, he saw a crystal chandelier - hanging just above him - glistening in the light and _glowing_; almost like gold.

"H-how," catching his breath, he stopped walking, forcing Kat to turn around and look to him. "H-how can you live in a place like this... it's huge!"

She laughed. "Someone's surprised, isn't he? It's all inheritance, Matthew."

"Inheritance? Do you have wealthy relatives or parents?" At the word _'parents'_, Kat's expression dropped and she frowned.

"We had a rich aunt and uncle who lived in this house. When they passed away, we were the only family left.. so we got it." Her frown never left.

"Oh." That made perfect sense; how lucky they were to get so much. "Are your parents here? I haven't seen them yet."

"O-our... parents don't live here. T-they.. they're _gone._" Matthew's eyes widened.

"Y-you don't mean they're.." Katyusha nodded, not looking into her friend's face. "Oh no.. I'm so sorry! I didn't know you lived-"

"It's fine, you didn't know." She let a small smile cross her features. "Let's not dawn on it, alright?"

He was still ashamed - knowing he must have brought forth unwanted memories - but Matthew allowed Kat to continuing leading the way, bringing them towards an open door frame. "Ivan's just sitting in here."

The name caught his attention. _Ivan_ - the person he had come to see. He would be lying if he said he wasn't still nervous. He had no clue if the Russian would eagerly agree, or abruptly decline. Matthew crossed his fingers, _I'll just need to hope for the best. _They entered a small room, Katyusha continuing to hold on tightly to Matthew's wrist. There wasn't much there - only a few bookshelves, a table, some chairs, and an occupied rocking-chair.

He was turned away from them, seat angled near the wall as he tilted the chair back and forth in rhythm, face occupied and buried inside a book. He hadn't noticed them yet.

"Brother! I have good news!" This was it, the moment of truth. He'd learn whether or not Kat had told her sibling of the event. Matthew held his breath.

Ivan raised his head from the novel, glancing back to his sister. "What is it Katyu-" He froze, fuchsia eyes widened in shock and horror. He jumped from the chair, throwing his book to the ground and staring in anger. "What the _hell _is he doing here!?" _Oh no.._

"I brought him to help you with your math, Ivan-"

The Russian hadn't been told one word of the plan. Matthew gulped, _I'm so dead. _

_"Why _would you do that!"

"You know the reasons, Ivan!" Katyusha took a protective stance in front of the blonde. "He can help you with your work, you know he can."

"_Я не хочу, чтобы вы принести мальчишка здесь!"_ Ivan shouted in Russian, nearing closer to the pair. _"Он не должен быть в этом доме-"_

"_Этот дом является не только ваш, брат. Вы знаете, что лучше для вас; Я не хочу, чтобы вы вновь падают!" _Kat replied back in their native-tongue, and Matthew could only stand behind her, not having any clue on what they were saying. _"Они уже забрали столько от вас, пожалуйста, просто дайте ему помочь ..."_

Ivan ceased his pursuit a few feet in front of them, halting at his sister's words. He hid his face, breathing a sigh before returning back over to his chair, not looking to them. "...da."

"D-did he agree?"

"Yes." Kat calmed her tone, as if she was shocked he accepted.

"R-really!" It was Matthew's turn to be surprised, his face lighting up. "You'll let me help you?"

"Yes.. but only for a little bit, because of the marks.." Disgust was still clear in Ivan's voice, and it was obvious he truly didn't want to do this, but it was good enough for the Canadian.

"Thank you," Katyusha went to join her brother, bringing him into a hug. "This means a lot to me."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He raised his arms up, not returning the gesture as his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "Let's just get this over with..."

"Of course," She pulled away and brought her sibling over to the table, gesturing for Matthew to do the same. "You two sit here, I'll go get Ivan's textbooks."

Nodding, the blonde took a seat beside the Russian, watching with glee as Kat disappeared around the corner. Glancing to his right, he peeked at Ivan - no readable expression visible on his face. Pale-violets returned the glare, a tint of annoyance flashing through those pools. Matthew ducked away in fear, ignoring Ivan's rude snickers at the action.

"Here we go!" A stack of papers and a couple heavy books were placed down on the table, Katyusha smiling brightly. "These are all my brother's tests and textbooks. I'm sure you know what to do," she gave a wink, "I'll come check on you in a little bit."

"Thanks, Kat." The cheerful girl left the room, and Matthew immediately reached for the papers to inspect just exactly what it was he was dealing with. Ivan watched with rapt attention, noting his every move. The blonde tried not to let the gaze get to him as he looked over all the grades, they weren't _that _bad... but certainly not impressive either. A majority were below sixty-percent, and a few were even failed. So, Ivan had been telling the truth during their previous detention, when he said him failing was normal, Matthew couldn't help but frown again at the fact.

"Is there anything specific you're having trouble with?" He asked, holding several sheets in his hands.

"I just don't understand it." His answer wasn't the best explanation, but it was all the blonde had to go with at the moment. Matthew nodded, grabbing a spare pen laying on the table and sliding the paper out in front of Ivan.

"Let's get started then..."

After a couple minutes of tutoring, the Canadian realized two things about his newest pupil. One, the Russian could not do math problems to _save his life_. He didn't know the reason as to why, but the older male just couldn't work things out well at all, always growling towards the question in his frustration. It was going to take a lot of practice to deal with that habit.. And secondly, Ivan was making no attempt at hiding his hatred for their current situation. He shot Matthew irritated scowls whenever he tried to give him instructions, ignored half the words the blonde had managed to say, and didn't properly follow the formulas, even when they were right in front of his face. When a full hour had passed, Matthew had come to the conclusion that Ivan was the worst person he'd ever had the displeasure of helping. _Ever._ Yet, the pair still managed to go over each and every test, and hopefully something had been taught during it all.

Peering in from behind the wall, Katyusha smiled softly at the scene. The smaller blonde was leaning close to Ivan, both looking down at a notebook as Matthew scanned over it with a pencil, speaking about linear relations. Her brother didn't seem to be paying much attention - his head leaned against a spare hand, slumped along the table - but he still looked at peace, and it brought her joy to see such a rare occurrence.

"How's it going you two?" She asked, walking into the room. Both males tilted up from the question at the new arrival, and Matthew grinned weakly.

"Pretty good, me and Ivan worked with all the problems." The Russian grunted, not bothering to reply.

"That's great! You've being going at this for ages, how about you two come have some lunch?"

"I-I can stay for lunch?" Matthew spoke doubtfully, going by Ivan's reaction, he had long since overstayed his welcome. "I would hate to be a bother..."

"Nonsense! It's no problem at all!" Kat ran up to them both, grabbing their arms unexpectedly and pulling them rather suddenly back towards the doorframe. In the midst of the commotion, both males brushed against one another, chests briefly touching for a split second. Matthew reddened at the contact, stuttering random words of apology as Ivan scowled, roughly shoving the blonde away and picking up his speed to be equal with his sister.

Leaving a rather flustered Canadian to be dragged along behind the two.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

"_Natalia_, could you please stop staring at our guest?"

"I want to know why _Alfred's _here, he's not welcome."

Matthew kept his face hidden, playing with his soup absently and fiddling with a spare napkin. Katyusha had brought Ivan and him to the dining room, where they found the final Braginski sibling, Natalia, waiting impatiently in one of the many chairs. She was wearing a classical dress, fleece flowing across the center to tie a large bow behind her back - another ribbon placed in her silver hair. It was nothing new and, like usual, she ran to her older brother as soon as they entered, bringing him close to hug him - much to Ivan's discomfort.

After this, they were served their meal. Servants brought it out, along with silverware and a few different drinks. It was all rather pleasant... until Natalia began speaking. She questioned Matthew's presence, demanding an answer as to why the _'annoying, fat, blonde kid'_ was sitting with them. Kat had explained who it was, but her sister kept asking, no matter how many times she was told.

"That's _Matthew_, _not_ Alfred. I already said this-"

"I've never heard of him before," her face remained blank, repeating that same sentence once again. "That is certainly Alfred; don't play games with me, sister." The Canadian sighed. It had been some time since he had last been mistaken for his brother, and he couldn't help feeling a little _surprised_ at it happening; perhaps it was because he was so use to Ivan recognizing him. Besides their first encounter, the Russian hadn't once forgotten or mistook him, _how _he hadn't was still a mystery, but Matthew had been thankful, it was one of the first times it had ever happened to him.

"No, it's not." Kat frowned. "Stop being rude-"

"_Nyet, _I have eyes-"

"_Enough!" _Ivan erupted, slamming his hands down on the table-clothe, shaking the wares located there. "You two don't need to argue over this, it's giving me a headache." As to prove his point, he rubbed his temple, pulling his arm away from his younger sister. "Natalia, that _is _Matthew not Alfred, you should be able to see some differences."

The Canadian shrunk away, it could've been from being the center of attention or from what Ivan had just said. He wasn't sure. At her sibling starting to stand, Natalia grabbed back onto brother, pulling him down.

"I'm sorry, big brother." She pleaded, not wishing for him to leave. "I understand now, you don't have to go."

"I-I need to do other things, please let go."

"Like what?" Ivan looked around the room, desperate to find some sort of excuse he could use. His eyes stopped on the small blonde, an idea flashing.

"Matthew! He has to leave now, I need to go dismiss him!"

"Leave? But, he doesn't have to go-"

"A-actually, I should get going now, Kat." At Ivan's pained expression, almost begging for assistance, Matthew gave in. "Alfred might need me for something again."

"I-If you really need to go..." Katyusha stood from the seat beside her friend, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Thank you so much for coming here, and helping Ivan."

"I-it was nothing, really." She laughed, bringing the blonde in for a quick hug before pulling away and peeking to her sister.

"Let's go Natalia, these two need to say goodbye." The silver-haired girl surprisingly made no sign of protest, pulling away from her brother and beginning to follow her older sibling. However, she made sure to send one last stare of terror and hatred towards Matthew, before disappearing beyond the walls. The Canadian paled.

" Are you coming?" Snapping out of his trance, he turned up to see Ivan leaning against the doorframe, raising an eyebrow.

"Y-yeah, sorry." After pushing in his chair, Matthew quickly walked to the Russian, following him wearily as they made their way to the front door. A thought had infiltrated his mind again, one that he had already been pestered on before. It was his final chance - if it didn't work now, then it would never work.

"H-hey, Ivan?" They stopped at the entrance-way, the Russian already reaching forward a hand and grabbing the door handle for dismissal.

"What." Same rough tone, same serious eyes, same slugged posture. Matthew gulped, beginning to rethink his plan.

"W-well... I've been thinking and-" He tilted his head to properly speak with Ivan, showing he had reason. "Remember the favor to told me about, during the detention a couple days ago?"

Ivan let his palm rest on the metal handle, halting his action to turn quizzically. "What about it?"

"Y-you said that you owed me something... and I know what I want now." Eyes flashed with courage and determination, and Matthew insured that his face was serious, to show he meant the words he spoke. "I want you to allow me to help you, with school work. Not just math, but all the subjects."

Ivan's reaction was a raised brow, and a doubtful yet shocked frown. "Why do you want to do that?"

"Y-you look like you struggle, and I know I can help you, if you give me the chance." He tried to show an innocent smile, bringing forth a hand as for Ivan to shake. "What do you say?"

Matthew's entire plan was based on that one sentence Katyusha had said to him earlier:' _...when worse comes to worse, he knows what needs to be done.'_ That phrase had seemed true thus far - Ivan had allowed him to help him, even if he was annoyed at it all. Hopefully, he would view the offer the same, and see it was truly for the best.

Matthew waited patiently as the Russian stared down at his hand in question, most likely contemplating in his head what was the best option. He opened his mouth, most likely to defy, but he quickly shut it, looking up to glance around their surroundings - as if inspecting for any listeners. After a full minute of silence, the Canadian was surprised to feel a larger hand grip his own, and he stood in wonder.

"Fine." Ivan sounded more pained then the blonde thought necessary, but he couldn't believe it, he agreed! He had done it, finally had gotten someone to listen to-

"Don't get to cocky," As if catching Matthew's sudden happy thoughts, Ivan tightened his grip - almost painful. "I'm only doing this for my sister, that's it."

Standing his ground, the blonde nodded in response, shaking the Russian's hand in agreement. "Me too."

..oO0(|)0Oo..

Matthew slid into the car seat, leaning back against the leather to find some sort of comfort - taking a relaxed sigh. He was currently in the Braginski's garage, where someone had parked his car for him. He wasn't too surprised to see a few bikes inside. He was sure they all belonged to Ivan, he had heard countless times before that the male owned his fair share of motorcycles.

The thought brought him happiness - lips raising up into a faint smile. He had done it. He made a deal, and finally would be able to help out the Russian. He didn't know why he had such a desire to do so, ever since the day they began talkin- _noticing _one another, Matthew had just been so curious and interested. Ivan was pretty much exactly how everyone had described him, but there were a couple traits that stood out in particular, ones he hadn't heard about before-

At the sudden ring of his cell phone, Matthew reached down to pick up the device, realizing that he had forgot to bring it inside with him. Turning it on, he was astounded to find that he had missed a total of fifty messages and twenty calls, all being sent to him within the last hour. Deciding to reply to them all later, he brought the phone up to his ear to respond to his newest call, answering quietly.

"Hello-"

"_Birdie!_" The loud voice of Gilbert shouted through the line. "Where are you!"

"Oww.. Gil, don't be so loud." He rubbed the side of his head, pulling the phone away slightly in case his friend decided to do it again. "What do you mean?"

"We were supposed to go out in the town, _remember_!"

It took a few seconds for Matthew to recall the conversation he had had with Gil two days earlier, and at the realization his eyes widened, and he felt guilt pass through him. _He _had forgotten something, that was so surprising, almost ironic. He had been so occupied with the Braginski's, so concerned about coming to meet them...

He had been so involved with Ivan, that he completely forgot about his friend.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

.-~Thank you for reading~-.

This Chapter turned out a lot longer than originally expected _(15 pages)_ , which is why it took so long to finish. But, it's here now, and we're finally moving on to a little more tension, and some good ol' plot.

I promise you guys, that I'm going to make a greater effort at getting these chapters out once a week. School is what stops me, and I really dislike it. But, I'll try my hardest to keep that promise. Chapter Eight is nearly complete, and should be done by tomorrow at the latest.

-Radi0

**For reviews, could we try for 45? That sounds like a good goal to try and reach. You guys always break it, so I'm sure you can get this one.~ Please, tell me how you feel about the length, and if you prefer longer chapters over short ones or vice-versa. Thanks again! **

**-TRANSLATIONS-**

_Merde__** (French) **__Bullshit___

_Faute__** (French) **__Foul_

_Bâtard__**(French) **__Bastard___

_Я не хочу, чтобы вы принести мальчишка здесь!__** (Russian)**__I didn't want you to bring the brat here!_

_Он не должен быть в этом доме -__** (Russian)**__ He shouldn't be in this house-_

_Этот дом является не только ваш, брат. Вы знаете, что лучше для вас; Я не хочу, чтобы вы вновь падают!__** (Russian)**__ This home is not just yours, brother. You know what's best for you; I don't want you failing again!_

_Они уже забрали столько от вас, пожалуйста, просто дайте ему помочь ...__** (Russian)**__ They've already taken away so much from you, please, just let him help you...___


	8. Stray

_**Chapter 8: Stray**_

"Gilbert! Please stop yelling, I said I'd be there in a few minutes-"

"You said that twenty-minutes ago!" The male's tone ceased to calm itself. "Just tell me what's going on, are you okay!?"

Matthew rested his head back against the leather seat, letting out a long, exasperated sigh as the rambling on the other line continued - no sign of stopping anytime soon. He cared deeply for his friend; they _had_ known each other for years. Gilbert was one of his closest companions: kind, caring, witty - a wonderful person once you got to know him in and out, just like Matthew had. Yet, it didn't matter how many good characteristics that German possessed, the one that always managed to stick out the most - even at the worst times - was _annoying. _Matthew wasn't thinking about the trait in the obnoxious sense - though, Gil could be that too - but rather in just how Gilbert showed concern when it came to others.

He always wanted to know the answers right away, sparing his target little time for explanation before he would ask again, and _again... _He'd pester you. Continuing on for ages until you finally gave in, subsiding to his questions and being trapped in a never-ending cycle.

Matthew had tried briefly explaining his current circumstances, however it was hard not only because of his obnoxious friend but also because he was worried about telling him the truth. Gilbert didn't know about Ivan that much, moving hadn't given him much time to learn of the Russian, but that couldn't stop Alfred from rubbing off on the German. Gilbert probably disliked Ivan just as much as the American did. So, spilling the beans on his true location wasn't probably the greatest idea, especially with his friend being as concerned as he was at the moment.

"... you could be in danger and who knows about- Hey! Are you even listening to me?" Matthew groaned.

"I'm perfectly fine, you can stop worrying about me, okay? I forgot. No big deal; I'm almost there."

"Could you at least tell me where you are?"

"I'm pulling down the street right now, I can see the café." He inwardly smirked at a sudden thought. "I'm hanging up now, bye."

"No, don't you dar-!" With a quick turn of a wrist, Matthew shut off his phone, tossing it to the seat beside him as he turned down the upcoming road. He had entered back into the city several kilometres ago, it luckily hadn't been as hard to return home as it had been to find the Braginski's house. Or should he say _mansion. _That was something he'd have to discuss more with Katyusha later on; he still hadn't been rid of all his questions. _I still can't believe they live in such a place, I never would have guessed it was theirs in a million years,_ he thought quizzically. _I also wouldn't have guessed their parents were-... it's a tragedy. It really is. _Matthew frowned, closing his eyes to take a deep breath - his grip suddenly tightening on the steering wheel.

"I guess that's one thing we have in common..." He didn't let the memory haunt him for long, quickly rejecting the idea before it could fester and bring back the unwanted pain that had taken years to dismiss. A few blinks and he regained peace, weakening his hold as he curved into a parking spot; fumbling with the keys before shutting off the engine. Matthew peeked through the window, taking in the calming sight of the familiar diner. It had been some time since his last visit - the decaying brick-work showing the buildings age. Even with its old, broken appearance it still maintained a feeling of warmth - welcoming any passerby's to come inside and rest.

Stepping out in wonder, Matthew closed the car door behind himself, fixing up his hoodie as he continued to examine the building in front of him. He could faintly recall the few occasions where he had visited in the past - birthday parties, town events, friendly invites; such wonderful days those had been...

Taking a peek towards the steps of the cafe, Matthew's lips curved up in a smile - placing his hands on his hips jokingly as a figure approached at a fast pace."I heard you had some _cell phone_ trouble, get it fixed?"

"You little..." Gilbert shook his head irritably, but it was obvious he wasn't angry in the slightest; letting out a few laughs and reaching forth a pair of arms as he neared his friend. "You're such a jerk."

"I know." Matthew giggled lightly, returning the embrace and wrapping his arms around Gil's torso. He glanced up into those scarlet pools devilishly."You still love me though."

"You wish!" Gilbert shoved away the Canadian gently, taking a spare second to scuffle up those blonde-curls before putting bare-hands back into a black jacket - a smirk remaining on that pale face. "I wouldn't get your hopes up if I were you."

"I'm just kidding!" Matthew called, fixing up his hair and hitting Gilbert playfully against the shoulder. "You're too much like Alfred anyways."

"Is that why you hung up on me?"

"Yep." Gil's pout was incredibly amusing. "You were starting to annoy me."

"I was just worried! That's all! It's not my fault if you decide to wander around the countryside all day..." The pair began heading towards the restaurant's door, Matthew's laughter soothing itself gradually.

"I wasn't _wandering, _I'll have you know I was on _very_ important business."

"Which was...?"

"_Classified." _

"Oh _come on!_ You didn't drive all the way here to tell me that." When they arrived at the entrance, Gilbert blocked the Canadian's path, crossing his arms and slanting his eyebrows childishly. "I want to know."

"Now you're _really _starting to act like Alfred. I already said it doesn't matter but," He grabbed his friend's hand, moving it to the side and slipping by him easily, chuckling at the un-amused frown it gained. "I'll tell if you want to know _that _badly. Wait till we get inside first though."

Gilbert grinned, cheerful personality returning as he flung an arm across Matthew's shoulder, pulling the blonde snug against his side and starting to lead them into the building. "That's my birdie!"

A sweet ding overhead was heard as they entered, the wooden frame closing shut behind them both as the German pulled them across the diner towards a vacant table. It was obvious Gilbert had been seated there prior - a half empty teacup was placed in the middle beside a folded newspaper. Matthew bit his lip in guilt, hoping Gil hadn't been waiting long.

They took their seats across from one another, Gilbert sparing no extra seconds before he began his questioning, already leaning across the table-top eagerly. "Okay, call you tell me _now?" _

"I can't believe you're still-" Matthew sighed, deciding it wasn't worth the bickering. "Never mind, it's fine. But could you tell me one thing first, please?"

The German rose a brow. "Yeah?"

"Why didn't you just call Alfred? I mean, he knew I was gone. He was there when I left." The question had been bothering him. Instead of wasting so much time waiting around, and attempting to get a connection, Gilbert could have just easily _phoned_ Al. When offered the choice of two different paths, why take the difficult one? "It just seems like it would have been so much easier, you know?"

"I did, trust me. It was actually my first plan, but..." He frowned, moving back to properly be seated against his chair - eyes paling as they stared off into the unknown. "But..he.."

"He what?" Matthew rested his arms along the table, much like Gilbert had done previously, suddenly curious and worried. Moments when Gil was elusive and silent were rare. During the occurrences, there had always been something wrong that sparked such different emotions, normally, it wasn't the greatest news. Waiting patiently, the blonde grew suspicious as his friend failed to reply, continuing to stare off into space. "What did he do? I'd like to know-"

"He forgot." Gilbert turned forward, emotionless pools of crimson failing to change expression, even as Matthew's mouth dropped and his eyes flashed in shock, then pain. "I called him, and asked if he knew where you were. He told me he didn't know, and then he said to leave him alone so he could watch the game."

"Oh..." He hadn't wanted that answer. His own brother had forgotten him _that _easily? It wasn't like Alfred never had before, it was an everyday normality, how forgettable he was. But, Al had just showed so much brotherly-instinct during the phone call with Katyusha, when Matthew wanted to leave. Where had all the worry he'd shown previously go? _So concerned, so protective..._ they had all drifted away like nothing. No care left once-so-ever. So much for feeling remembered...

"Hey," a soothing palm found its way to his arm-sleeve, holding it in a trusting hold as the owner smiled. "I'll have a talk with him later, okay?" Gilbert tilted with a grin, patting Matthew's arm in assurance. He wished for nothing but peace for his friend, it was that simple. _Yet.._

"No," the blonde pulled away, shaking his head in dismissal and holding his own arms against his chest. "Al just forgot again, it's fine.."

"_Fine?! _You can't tell me him completely forgetting about you is fine, Matt. He could've cared less, all he wanted to do was watch that dumb hockey showdown."

Matthew's eyes widened at the harsh words, surprised even at such an outburst. He blinked a few times, almost looking ready to agree before he shook, violets continuing to stare in denial. "He only forgot, that's normal."

"No, it's _not. _He shouldn't treat you like-"

"Everyone does it." Matthew interrupted, lowering his voice as he finished, "Even _you _have."

Feeling abruptly defeated, Gilbert slumped down, realizing at that moment he wouldn't be able to accomplish anything - the Canadian wouldn't listen; he never did.

Their rather long and awkward silence was interrupted by a bubbly waitress appearing alongside the table, two sets of menus in hand and an over exaggerated smile lighting her face. "Hey there! Is there anything I could interest you in?" She placed the booklets down, putting her arms behind herself as she waited for their replies.

Matthew wasn't hungry, he had already eaten less than an hour ago at Katyusha's. The meal had been enough to feed him twice over, probably more, but he didn't want to be rude so he decided on a small salad, while Gilbert chose some sort-of hamburger combo. The elegantly-themed girl - with her fluffy checkerboard dress, snow-white ribbons and vivid lacing - nodded, writing down their order on a notepad and grabbing the menus again, giving them a quick wave of _'Be right back!'_ before dashing off into another part of the diner.

The pause was uncomfortable, and Matthew might've been a little upset with his friend at the time, but he saw no need for them to keep silent. It _was _supposed to be a get together - a day to spend in celebration and enjoyment, laughing and cheering until the very last moment; their small disagreement wasn't worth ruining that.

"I was invited somewhere."

"Hmm?"

"That's where I was," he played absently with the end of a napkin - folding down the corner before repeating the process on the other side, "Earlier this morning, Katyusha called me and asked if I could help her with something. I had to leave the house for it."

Taking a sip of his coffee, Gilbert's lips grew into a tiny grin - perhaps because his question had finally been answered - watching with sudden attentive. "That explains a bit," he pulled away the mug, "Where'd you have to go?"

Feeling worried and anxious, Matthew flickered his eyes away; the idea of telling Gil the truth still being contemplated in his mind. After a brief moment, he returned the gaze, knowing the words had to be told. "W-well, I was invited to t-their-" he stuttered, voice not as quiet as usual but still timid, "t-their home..."

Gilbert's reaction wasn't as frantic as he expected, but the German still showed a clear sign of surprise through his facial expression. He held out his cup, setting the empty glass onto the table. "The Braginskis? You went _there_?"

"Yeah, I did." At witnessing the obvious rage his friend was hiding, he decided it would be best not to mention a certain Russian. "I went there to help out Kat, with her homework assignments."

"That's mighty nice of you." Gilbert said, taking a peek down the aisle in hopes of sighting their waitress. "Anything specific?"

"It was just math. But, we did make... a plan."

"A plan? For what?"

"All the subjects," Matthew still wasn't sure on how his tutoring with Ivan was going to work out. He had a few ideas, yes, but he didn't know how he would go about teaching him harder topics - history, geography; he was thinking a more complex method would be best, but his mind was completely blank. So, perhaps asking Gil would be the best next thing. That teen could have marvelous ideas when he thought hard enough. "I'm going to tutor her with everything, but... I'm just a little dumbfounded on how I'll do it."

Both had to pause their conversation when food was set down in front of them; a small, colorful mix of salad and a fat, calorie-filled burger. Their waitress re-filled Gil's coffee, gave them a few more napkins, and told them to call her if they needed anything else; giving a quick smile before running off.

"I'm s-sure a simple l-lesson will s-suffice," Gilbert spoke through a stuffed mouth, somehow still understandable through all that bread and steak. "Do y-you not think so?"

Matthew poked at the lettuce, still not feeling very hungry. "I don't think it will be enough for the difficult ones. Math and English? Sure. History? Not as much," he took a bite of the leafy-grain, not wishing to be ignorant. "I think I'll need something more..."

"Why not a museum?" Gilbert said, setting aside his meal to speak clearly. "Heck, even a monument would probably work too. While you visit, you could explain it all and Kat get's a visual representation in the process."

"Gil, that's... that actually might just work." Matthew looked to his friend in wonder.

"Killing two birds one with stone, right?"

"You're a genius."

Gilbert snickered, leaning back in his chair and resting silver-locks against his folded arms. "Naturally."

Matthew rolled his eyes at the administration, yet, he was rather happy at that moment. "Don't push yourself now."

"Are you saying that the _awesome _me isn't smart?"

"Well, those ketchup stains all over your face bring your intelligence level down _just_ a little..." Gilbert's cheeks rose in color.

"Stains!? Why didn't you tell me!" He grabbed the spare bunch of napkins, bringing them to his face and beginning to rub in random spots. "I probably look ridiculous!"

Matthew stopped talking, but his rapid fits of laughter failed to halt; even as Gilbert stared at him un-amused, the blush on his cheeks almost as red as the ketchup.

"You missed a spot-"

"Shut it!"

..oO0(|)0Oo..

He closed the door firmly, ensuring it was locked and bolted before leaning back, resting against that pale wood in exhaustion. Tilting his head to the side, he caught sight of those blonde curls through a window, swaying evenly in the autumn breeze like fallen leaves. Ivan watched until Matthew was out of sight, stepping down the cement concrete and disappearing around a corner, probably heading to the garage to retrieve his vehicle.

Ivan brought a hand up to his aching skull, massaging the skin as the same message continued to repeat itself in mind.

Had he really just _agreed _to that?

He groaned, closing his eyes to try and concentrate better on the situation at hand: Katyusha had not only invited the Canadian over to their house, but she'd also thought it had been a great idea to have Matthew tutor Ivan, without mentioning one word to him! Was she mad? Just because _she_ got along with the teen didn't mean he did. They only knew each other from the detentions, that was it.

"I still accepted that stupid offer from him though." Ivan said, gritting his teeth. "Did it have to come to that..."

Originally, he was going to decline such an outrageous proposal. Their time spent together in the study hadn't been a fun one, and even though some work had been accomplished, it was obvious to both that neither had enjoyed the lesson. Ivan had been looking forward to finally dismissing the boy, getting the annoying blonde out of his hair so he could return back to more important matters. But... Matthew just had to makes things difficult, halting his departure so he could go and ask Ivan the same question from yesterday. What was even more surprising, was the fact that he had said yes.

He hated the idea, oh yes, he really did. He didn't want to spend his quiet detentions arguing with a young, annoying male for the next month over algebraic expressions, but, it's just what it had come to. He hadn't agreed for himself, he'd made the clear enough already, but for his sister. He wouldn't deny that he was failing school: it was the truth, a rather tragic one at that. Katyusha had been pestering him to focus more during class, take more time out of the day to study his notes; he wanted to listen to her, a large part of him wanted to make her happy, yet, he never had gotten the chance. His evening affairs left him with almost no time to enjoy himself, let alone his education. Half the time, he'd arrive home so late and tired, that he would just fall onto the couch into immediate slumber, only moving when his sisters or a servant came to wake him. It been that way for two years, and not once had he ever bothered to try and change it.

Now, he finally had a chance. It was more of a desperation than it was an agreement, his acceptance. He only wished to try and make his siblings happy; to show them he could do something right for once; that he wasn't a complete and total let down to their family name. Even if he hated every spare second he was forced to spend with that blonde, he knew Matthew would end up helping him for the greater good.

"Now _I'm _the one who sounds pathetic..." Ivan sighed, slumping away from the door-frame to glance around the living room. It was rather silent - the only noises coming from the several maids scrambling across the floor-boards and a gardener mowing the lawn outside. Straightening his back, he looked towards the dining-room entrance, knowing a certain female was most likely sitting in there, occupying herself with some sort of novel. He needed to talk with Katyusha, discuss the motives that had led her to inviting Matthew over to their home. The visit may have passed, but Ivan was still upset with her, and that she hadn't mentioned one word to anyone else.

He began walking to the entry-way, hoping the conversation would be quick and straight-forward. He had business that needed to be attended to, and if anyone had to wait up for him he'd defiantly be-

"_Big brother_," an eerie voice stopped him in his tracks, two small arms snaking themselves around his torso and pulling tight. "What are you doing?"

Ivan stiffened. "N-Natalia, I need to go talk with Kat, please let me go." He tried taking a step forward, but at his sister's nails pushing against his stomach, he paused, realizing something was wrong. "Sister, are you-"

"I want to ask you something..." She interrupted, fingers holding tighter onto his loose jacket. "It's nothing huge or anything but..."

"What do you need?" Ivan tilted his head to get a better view, only able to see the top of Natalia's head where her bow was rested. Normally, he wouldn't show much worry or concern to his sibling; not because he didn't care or anything, but because Natalia _always _was affectionate. She never left his side while he was home, and every moment he managed to spend alone was a blessing. She usually was very forceful in her ways of showing 'love', always demanding and cruel with her words. When she was cautious and nervous, much like she was now, was when Ivan knew something was up. When she didn't reply, instead choosing to lean more into his back, he grew more fretful. "Is it about today? With Matthew showing up at our home?"

"No it's-.. okay, maybe a little." Natalia's tone was meek - almost as if she was holding back. "I didn't think he'd show up here.. and the fact that he wasn't _Alfred_," she spoke with distaste, "Was quite surprising."

"Da, I know. But, it really was Matthew, and you may not have ever heard of him, but that's him; Katyusha wasn't lying." Ivan thought it was best to remind his sister, in case she wound up forgetting and starting another fight."I didn't expect him to be here either, I was as surprised as you."

"He looked so much Alfred, I could barely tell the difference, brother. He seemed so much like him, almost identical, but I did see a few differences," Natalia sounded like a lost child: listing off things she had heard but didn't understand. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Da." Ivan wanted to leave, he had things to discuss with Katyusha, they were important. He didn't want to interrupt Natalia though, however, he was beginning to find their discussion rather pointless. "Is this all you wanted to talk about? If it is, could we try later? I need to go chat with сестра about-"

"Nyet, it's not." She buried herself closer to him, hold growing firmer. "I wanted to say something else."

"Then tell me now." He felt Natalia frown through his coat, noticing how her voice hitched; like a whimper.

"Please..." That usually strong tone fell weak, crumbling into small sobs rapidly. "D-don't go..."

"Don't start this again.. I beg of you." Ivan bit his lip, reaching to the nimble arms across his chest, wishing to remove them. He grabbed her wrists, but she moved even closer, squeezing the dark fabric in an unbreakable hold and stopping him from continuing. "There isn't a need to tell me again-"

"Please!" A cold, harsh cry broke out, dissolving into weak sobs, and Ivan knew she was crying. "I don't want you hurt! It's going to happen, and then we'll be left alone again-"

Natalia was cut off as her brother twisted in her grasp, removing her arms. She feared he was leaving her, and she cried again, ready to scream for him to stay by her side and listen. However, all these thoughts vanished when thick arms reached around _her_, pulling her snug against a broad chest and not letting go. Those large palms gripped her shoulders, brushing underneath silver strips and holding strongly.

She was breathless, not knowing how to respond. Ivan _never _returned her hugs, her pleas, her wishes - he just made excuses. But this time, he held her, so close, so lovingly, the way she always wished a brother would. In an instinct she wound her arms back around him, not wanting to pass up such a rare and timeless occurrence, letting her tears slide down her pale face and drench his already ruined coat.

Ivan soothed a hand over her back, letting his sister cry out as much as she needed to. It felt so strange: showing an emotion other than fear towards Natalia. It also was.. nice. He couldn't explain the bubbling sensation, but he knew it was something good, and it brought him peace.

He pulled away, letting those hands remain on her shoulders as she looked up to him. Her face was red, cheeks still wet as a few more tears slipped free from those light-blue eyes, filled with care and confusion. Ivan wiped away the droplets best he could, soothing a gentle thumb across his sister's cheek to try and calm her. Luckily, the action seemed to work; Natalia's breath becoming easy again and her arms lowering to return by her sides. Ivan smiled: a genuine and true grin, "Everything will be fine, okay?"

She nodded. "D-da... if you say so, brother."

"Good," he let go then, backing off and taking a glance towards the dining-room, the place he still needed to go. "I need to go speak with Katyusha for now, she's still in the kitchen, correct?"

"Da, she's trying to convince the maid to let her do the dishes again." Ivan sighed. He would have to discuss that with her too it would seem.

"I'll go speak with her... thank you," he walked into the entry way, tilting his head to show one last smile to his sibling. "And Natalia, you can stop worrying about me. I can handle anything they dish out."

She watched him leave, hearing him chuckle at his own words - not arrogant, but conceited. Natalia lowered her eyes, playing with the ends of her hair distraughtly and repeating her brother's words. He said he would be fine, he was safe, he was strong. She had nothing to worry about... nothing at all - _right?_

"Oh, brother," her tone was aimless, knowing no one could hear her hopeless voice as she stood alone in the large corridor. "I wish I could believe you..."

..oO0(|)0Oo..

"You know, you didn't have to buy the ice cream.."

"Hey, it's _my_ _treat._ I did forget about us even coming here, remember? I owed you."

A light laugh. "Yeah, I guess you did."

After finishing off their meal from the restaurant, Matthew and Gilbert had walked a little farther down the street to find an old ice cream shop, one that had been there for as long as they could remember. The Canadian was still full - his small salad had been enough to almost drive him over the edge - but he couldn't say no to his friend's thrilled face. The way his silver-streaked bangs would ruffle together as he jumped in excitement, when those ruby orbs stared in delight and joy at their find, how he had practically kneeled on the ground and prayed they could go inside. How could he have said no to that?

Entering the old-fashioned building had been quite the thrill - a new memory being evoked by each item they saw. Alongside the table top counter, there were dozens of stools and chairs, all surrounding a multitude of tables. Matthew could remember when he had his birthday party at one of those seats. He had invited all his class that day, and at the end of it all, Alfred had accidentally spilt his dessert all over his brother's lap. It brought a sincere laugh out of the blonde, as he thought of that day. He always found it funny how people only seemed to remember the worst of their past, rather than the good moments there also had been... perhaps it was just human nature. Matthew didn't quite know the answer to the endless question.

Both males had immediately gone to the cashier after entering, requesting their all time favorite flavors. Gilbert had decided on the classic mint chocolate-chip, while Matthew felt like satisfying his Canadian side and chose maple-swirl. After a tiny debate, the German eventually allowed his friend to pay for their snack, originally bewilded at the request. But Matthew had gone _on and on_, saying that it was only fair, also because Gil had payed for their lunch at the café.

Now they were seated on a worn bench outside the shop, eating away at their frozen delicacies and speaking of any topic that came to mind. Matthew found himself distracted by the gorgeous autumn view in front of him, the amazing fall weather at its finest. They may have been in the bustling city, with its concrete sidewalks, crowded highways, and pollution stained skies, but that couldn't stop the warm colors and expressive nature from being shown. Everything almost had a _glow_ to it - something Matthew couldn't truly explain. It was just a fact, a sense; everyone noticed it, but no one could elaborate on the matter. A few prickled leaves passed by his face, awakening him from his trance and bringing him back to reality.

"So," Gilbert took a lick of his ice-cream, peering down to the Canadian beside him. "Did Alfred have any plans for today?"

"None that I know of." Matthew shook his head, focusing back on his friend as he gazed in thought. "Though, he may have gone somewhere with Arthur.. they're always together."

"That's what we all should do, go somewhere to hang out: all of us." He grinned. "Like tomorrow, or Monday or Tuesday. Sound good?"

"Tomorrow works," Matthew stopped mid-sentence to chew a piece of taffy found in his treat. "But not during the week, well, not until later in the day."

"You have other plans or something?"

"Not exactly.. I actually have an hour long detention I need to go too, it's kind of mandatory." He sighed.

Gilbert let out a small fit of chuckles, leaning back against the bench and raising a brow sarcastically. "Don't lie to me, Birdie, you'd never get in trouble. What's the real reason?"

The Canadian pouted, "I can sometimes you know.. But, I'm being serious, Gil."

The German straightened up, realizing his friend was telling the truth. He narrowed his eyes. "Well, what did you do then?"

"I didn't actually do _anything_, it was all Alfred's fault. It's his dumb punishment..."

Gilbert stiffened. "What do you mean _Alfred's?" _

"Well, long story short: Al got into a fight with Ivan, and earned himself a detention after school." Matthew groaned, taking another lick of his frozen treat. "He always gets into trouble.."

Ignoring half of the Canadian's sentence, Gil squinted, growing more confused by the minute. "If it's Alfred's detention, then why the heck are _you _taking it?"

"Al's to busy with sports, so I decided to go for him, it's pretty easy for me to look like him," Matthew giggled softly. He remembered saying the same exact sentence to Ivan. He peered up to his friend. "Wouldn't you agree...Gil, what's wrong?" At Gilbert's distraught expression, looking more _horrified _at the comment than amused, the Canadian stopped.

"Why..why are you doing this?" Gilbert shook his head, looking deeply into those violet eyes. "Tell me why."

"I-I don't know what you mean..." Matthew shrunk down, suddenly feeling nervous.

"Why you put up with Alfred, why you let him put your through all of this..."

"It's because I car-"

"How long?"

"H-huh?"

_"How long,"_ The German repeated his words, turning to face Matthew better. "How long is the detention for?"

"I-it's for a month.." Why was Gil so upset? So.. _angry? _It wasn't really a big deal.. Matthew was just doing a simple favor for his brother.. "Why are you so mad-"

"I don't understand!" Gilbert stood from the bench, not caring as his ice cream was thrown to the ground, pointing to his friend. "Why!?"

"I just want to help my brother out, there isn't a reason to yell. I don't know why this is bothering you so much.." He gulped, things were starting to get a little uneasy...

"_Bothering me!?_ It bothers me that you let Alfred push you around so much! Why don't you ever say something, be your own person for once? It doesn't need to be like this!"

"I-I am my own person.. I don't let him push me around..." Matthew felt his eyes begin to water. He _was _his own person. He lived his life, he did as he pleased, he spoke out for himself.. didn't he?

"Don't lie to me _again_, Mattie!" Gilbert growled, grabbing his own head in frustration. "Open your eyes and look around! I've been near you for _years_, and I've seen it all myself: the names, the invisibility, the confusion - you _are _mistaken for him, but you just let it slide like it's nothing! I'm starting to think you _like _being ignored-" He snapped his hands over his mouth, immediately wanting to take back his statement, but it was too late.

Matthew stood up on weak legs, his body already trembling. He was ready to leave, he'd had enough of these comments.. these opinions, he didn't care if they were true, he wouldn't be able to stay sane another minute if they continued. However, Gil halted his escape, quickly grabbing his wrist.

"Matt, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"N-no!" He pulled free his hand, his voice cracking in the process. His face had gone red - hot, fresh tears streaming down his pale cheeks. Those light-purple eyes were puffy, swollen in the midst of sadness. He continued shaking, whimpering out, "I-I'm going, t-this is.. I'm going home!"

"No, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!" Gilbert was growing frantic, approaching his friend as he began backing away. "I just wanted to try and make you _see, _help you realize. But, I hadn't meant to make you cry!"

"Y-You don't understand! You don't know _anything, _Gil, and you couldn't!" He turned then, away from the bench, the store, and away from his friend.

Gilbert just wouldn't be able to understand everything he'd been through. His family, his brother, the pain, the suffering.. He hadn't chosen to be the person he was today: the invisible, _shadow_ teen he was. But, that's what it had to be. If being a ghost would help out Alfred, then so be it, he'd do anything to protect his sibling.

He continued running, not caring as he pushed past other occupants on the curb, and as he ran through the traffic lights, hearing drivers throw insults at him. He kept moving, even as his legs grew weak, and even as Gilbert's pleading yells faded off into the distance behind him.

..oO0(|)0Oo..

.-~Thank you for reading~-.

**Review goal is still 45 reviews! I know we can make it guys! Also, there is currently a poll on my profile for the next RusCan fic I'll be doing! If you'd like to have a say in the matter, than please, take a look and vote. If you have the time of course :)**

_Welp. Only time a chapter will come out this earlier. I never realized how much I love writing Natalia and Ivan.. she's actually pretty nice to write when she isn't trying to hurt or murder someone... Until next time guys, this fic is heading along nicely.~ _

_-Radi0 _

**I don't Own Hetalia **


End file.
